YOUR GRANDSON?

Cassandra watched the woman as she placed the plates on the table. Her right arm had been hung and her left hand was useless. The old woman had not spoken to her after the discussion they had about her daughter. Cassandra was sorry and wished her hand was in perfect condition to help the woman out, aside from that, she needed to know what happened to the woman's daughter. The old woman beckoned her when she was done setting the table and she eased out of bed, careful enough not to upset her injury. When her legs touched the ground, her knees quivered and she held the bed with her free hand, to steady herself until the blood had circulated her whole legs. She slowly walked up to the table where the old woman was seated and took the seat opposite.

The woman didn't say anything to her, Cassandra closed her eyes and said her prayers. After blessing the food, she picked up the spoon and tried to scoop the food. Then she looked up at the old woman and sighed heavily.

"Look, I am sorry."

"Sorry for what exactly?" asked the woman who was focused on her food and not looking at her.

"For everything, for your daughter, for not trying to understand you first."

"There is nothing to understand about me."

Cassandra dropped her spoon. "It's just that I am frustrated out of my mind. I shouldn't be here. I have a life, I was about to get married."

"You know, other girls cower and cry when they get here, like, they let themselves become slaves."

Cassandra nodded and looked down at her food. "I am not other girls..."

"That is why I like you. I wish every woman would possess this fiery spirit, the need to stand up and fight for themselves, even if they don't see themselves winning, at least try."

"I just want to kill him, I swear I will if I have the opportunity. All I want right now is to wrap my fingers around his neck and press until I feel the breath leaving him, for all those cruel things he had done to women," Cassandra said through clenched teeth and demonstrated with her free hand.

The old woman guffawed, her laughter resonated through the room and it brought a smile to Cassandra's face. She was happy she was on that track with the old woman. The old woman's laughter subsided after a while, Cassandra kept scooping food into her mouth and smiling.

"You needed to see your face while saying that. By the way, why do you hate him so much?"

Cassandra chewed fast so that she could answer the woman. "Who doesn't? I mean, how can someone be so ruthless? He killed my dad for starters."

"What if he is only damaged?" the old woman was serious again.

Cassandra stared at her. "Damaged?" She dropped her spoon. "He could choose to be the opposite of what he went through or whatever. He has no excuse for being an asshole...and could you stop defending him, he killed your daughter, that should always be in her heart," Cassandra said pointing to her chest.

A smile crept into the old woman's face again. "I like you already, I am Adella Monero, it's nice to meet you." The old woman stretched out her hand.

Cassandra thought the woman was strange, something was off about the woman, but she brushed it away and took the woman's hand. "Cassandra Lopez, call me Cassie."

"Cassie, eat your food, you've been starving for days now..." Adella's words trailed off and her eyes darted towards the door, she held up her hand in front of Cassandra, stopping her from making further noise. Cassandra's eyes followed her.

At first, Cassandra didn't hear anything, she didn't know why the woman suddenly reacted like that but straining her ears, she could hear the pounding footsteps, coming up the stairs. Without being told, she knew it was him, her worst nightmare.

"Now, go to the bed quickly, pretend you are asleep. Eros is on his way here," the old lady stood immediately and started towards the door. The pounding footsteps grew louder.

Cassandra managed to get up from her seat and went over to the bed. The footsteps stopped at Adella's door and Adella was early enough to open the door before Eros did.

Eros jerked his head back when his grandmother flung her door open, his brows furrowed in a frown. Adella smiled.

"Hey," she said somewhat breathlessly.

"Grandma? Why do you look so uneasy?" Eros asked pushing past his grandmother into the room.

"Do I?" asked the old woman. She quickly wiped the bead of perspiration that had formed on her forehead when Eros' back was turned to her.

Eros' eyes fell on the bed where Cassandra was lying, trying so hard to breathe slowly and look deep in sleep. Grandma Adella's eyes fell on the plates on the dining table and she quickly moved towards it, hoping Eros haven't seen them yet. Eros moved closer to the girl on the bed.

"Is she coming to?"

"Soon. Very soon, but she is still in a coma right now," Grandma Adella answered, packing up Cassandra's plates and quickly moving to the kitchen.

Eros stared at the girl lying helplessly on the bed. He could strangle the life out of her right now, but he wasn't going to give her an easy death. He was going to make her feel every bit of pain she made him go through by stabbing him. He ran his hand over his neck, where it was plastered. He was going to have her, he wasn't going to force himself on her, never will, but he was going to make her beg him to take her however he wanted, he was going to torture her into submission. His fingers tightened as he thought of that.

Just like in response, her lips parted and he was suddenly fascinated. His thoughts ran differently. He moved closer and had a good look at her, at her thick heavy hair, at the pronounced lines of her eyebrows and eyelashes, at her straight small nose, at her curved lips which were now parted slightly in unconsciousness. She was beautiful.

"Are you toying with the thoughts of strangling her?" His grandmother's voice brought him out of his thoughts and he jumped a little.

"Grandma, you startled me."

"Eros Castillo, startled? That is new."

"Grandma, I want to know when she is awake, the very minute she opens her eyes, let me know."

"Aye sire," Adella said and saluted.

"I will be on my way now, I have some important business tonight, I need to get ready."

"Be careful in whatever you do, you are all I've got now."

Eros didn't say anything, he walked away, his footsteps pounding the floor as he walked. Cassandra waited to hear the door close before she opened her eyes, but the door opened immediately and Eros poked in his head.

"By the way, er...Grandma Adella, I thought I saw a table set for two persons."

"I had company," Adella lied.

Cassandra's heart started to pound. She wasn't ready to face him yet. Her whole body still ached.

"I...er...Dimitra...Dimitra came by..." Grandma Adella spluttered.

"Dimitra?" Eros arched his brow at her.

"Yes, she came here, you know and I had some food left."

"Grandma Adella, Dimitra never likes your gut, you both don't get along."

"Well, change is always constant. Ain't you going to be late for that meeting?" Grandma Adella asked, moved closer to the door, and squinted her eyes at him.

Eros cast her a leery look and shot another look at the bed Cassandra laid on, before leaving. Grandma Adella closed the door and twisted the lock. She turned to see an already pacing Cassandra.

"Really?" Cassandra asked. "He is your grandson?"

Adella smiled and started walking towards the kitchen without saying anything. Cassandra followed her.

"Who are you and whose side are you on? You let me say all those horrible things about him and you even egged me on. Oh, my God, I should have listened to my instincts." Cassandra huffed in exasperation.

"What? Do you think I was going to stop you even if you wanted to put a knife through his heart?" Grandma Adella asked, turning on the tap in the sink and water gushed out. Her back was turned on Cassandra.

Cassandra looked confusedly at her. "I don't even understand you. I don't trust you."

"You shouldn't trust anyone. I love him, but I hate that he is like this. I won't blame anyone who takes their revenge on him. You are his match you know." Grandma Adella washed the dishes in the foamy water and put them over to the other sink. "Ain't you going to give me a hand?" she asked without even turning to Cassandra.

Cassandra went over and started rinsing the dishes with her free hand. "I don't even understand what you mean by that, but I would implore you to be clear and honest with me next time."

Grandma Adella chuckled. "First, you didn't let me introduce myself, now it's my fault that you don't know me? I never said Eros was not my grandson."

"Well, you never said he was...Wait, if Eros is your grandson, then who is your daughter and who made her go through what?"