Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Line to Remember:

"Own me Jethro. Make me believe in your sincerity".

Cassandra's

She knew Jethro was surprised by what he did. Out of the flying saucer, all of a sudden she pushed it away. Can she blame herself if even she was also surprised when Donya Trinidad suddenly appeared.

"Son, have you been home before? I didn't hear your car coming in, or I was just too busy arranging the flowers above." its greetings. It is no longer looking at her now. It was approaching Jethro who had turned his back on his behaviour. When the mother's voice was heard, the young man's face did not even touch the slightest concern. It was very composing to face the mother and smile and hug it.

"Your Chevrolet is what I used Mom. It's been a long time since I've been waiting in the garage. I just did a test run." It leaned back against him. The lady sat down in front of them. Cassandra is embarrassed as she faced it. She wanted to be swallowed by the sofa. If the lady had been standing on the stairs earlier, she must have heard and seen what she and Jethro were doing. She does not seem to be able to face it.

-

"Oh how rude of me Mom. I want you to meet, the loveliest lady I have here ... Cassandra Jilonan." She shifted her gaze to the man's mother. She thought it would hurt her, yet the exact opposite to it. Wide smile painted on its naughty red lips while palms are paid to her.

"Hello hija nice to meet you. My son really knows how to choose beauty."

She smiled hesitantly and accepted her hand. "H-hi po. Good day p-po." with a bow.

"Drop the formalities hija. You're too formal; I'm not an old man yet. I am still in my forties with just a plus." It screamed a little laugh. Somewhat, she like her Talk with Donya Trinidad easily. Teenager to teenager when communicating and she did not see it in the slightest harshness of habit, she was very natural on all corners.

Even at forty plus it was as previously said. It seems to be a decade younger than her Mama who is only the same age line. Its skin is white and its speech and posture are very formal. Although she could see a few wrinkles it did not obscure the charm of its youth. She could see the resemblance of her face to Jethro's physicals. It inherited the puffy eyes and even the sharp nose. She could see that their heredity was born pretty and attractive.

"You did not say that your guest Jethro is coming. I should have prepared something for her."

"Oh. It's okay. I don't need that anymore Ma’Am." she said in a shy and hoarse voice.

"I said drop the formalities hija. You can call me Tita ..." a smile widened on her lips and reached for her left hand to touch. "Son, why didn't you say you had a visitor coming. If you had said that I would have been able to pick up fruits and flowers from Satur."

"It's my surprise to you Ma. And one more thing I told Amboy to pick fruits and flowers and send them to Satur here at the mansion."

"I see." The lady looked back at her. Was she the only one who noticed or did she see its eyes twinkle.

"She must be a special child. I just saw and noticed her with you. You haven't mentioned and bought any woman in front of me before."

The three servants stopped for a moment. They are serving many sweets than before. Custard rolls and latte and your big Special Dairy Caucasian Cake are included.

"Ma. The amount of food you take out. My guest might choke her stomach out." he said in a joking tone.

"Of course son, your guest is special today. And besides, these are just nothing. I'm just glad you brought a woman here to the mansion. It feels kind of boring. I need someone to talk to."

"Oh well, if you really love to talk to my lady here. Then I will leave you two. I'll just change upstairs. My up shirts are wet."

My lady ... it struck her to the heart. If the young man expresses his feelings to her, she notices vulgarity. Well, maybe that's when you talk to a tycoon; they don't like things to keep in wait. They prefer to be straightforward. And to anyone, even the mother does not care what he says.

-

"Okay son, don't worry I will take care of your special guest. I will entertain her as much as I could"

Cassandra thought that Jethro will kiss her Mom's cheeks. But Jethro's naughty lips find its way to hers. Surprised, Cassandra restrained herself. Her heart skip a beat then beat faster than before.

She wanted to spare her breath for a second. She sighed in the wind, and it was agile. The singular heavy breath she could actually hear was hers. And she'd want to bet that Donya Trinidad noticed that too.

"You seemed to be a very nice and lovely lady."

"Ah ... t-thank you Tita." she hesitantly answered.

"And I know you are a very special woman to my son." she rubbed the knee of the palm. She can’t think of anything to answer. "You know hija, it's very rare for me to find my son smiling in front of me. He rarely smiles, and when he does, I know it was very special. This is the very first time he brought a woman here to mansion. I thought he shut her world to women. All I thought then was that he had nothing to do but his job. "

She finds it very amusing and informative. She learned a lot while talking lightly to Donya Trinidad.

"Me?" Cassandra continued as she sipped the latte from the coffee mug. She did the same to drift down her throat.

"Yes hija. My son hasn’t brought any women here before. If I hear anything, I'm not sure they are true. His women are like days in a year. They come and go."

She could not answer. She was flattered, very amused, and she seemed to want to get rid of the worms in her stomach, butterflies, or anything from her groin. The thrill crept across her entire muscle and to her heart. That it is still faster than horse racing.

"I know you were a special lady to my son hija and I will not stop you. I want my son to be happy and lived peacefully." she saw sadness in its eyes. Her voice a little stuttered. And she felt a slight scratch on the tone of speech.

"T-tita ..."

"Is it okay if you just call me Mama instead of Tita. I want to have that feeling of someone special to my son calling me the same as he is."

"B-but ..." she hesitated to continue what she was going to say. "I-isn't Jillian calling you that. After all, Jillian is Jethro's fiancé."

She did not know if she had asked that question correctly. She was crossing the line where she was supposed to stand. But she could not tolerate her own curiosity.

-

"Jillian." there was the bitter tone of her voice again. The lady's golden eyes lost their sparkle. "I don't know if my son and Jillian really get along. He is her fiancé but I don't see them having time with each other. They are like parallel lines. They never intersect. So I also did not experience being able to talk with Jillian deeply. Only my husband is always in front of her. "

She knew she was not in the place to ask. They just met a while ago and it's too soon to exchange information but the 40+ woman's confession made her grumble onto her seat.

"Honestly. I did not vote for Jillian for my son. But I do not want my son to live a life with nothing."

Cassandra wanted to ask about the word "nothing". She wanted to clarify it clearly, why nothing if the young man has a lot of assets.

"I know it wasn't my stead to say this. But aren't you afraid that Jethro's life will be miserable by choosing a woman that is not on his own free will?"

Her heavy jealousy she felt. The world of Trinidad's flawless wrinkles waved. Her two eyes witnessed how the expression on her face changed. From that youthful look to a much more defined wrinkles.

"I am also afraid hija. But I can do nothing; my husband's decision is final. I also do not want to lose everything for him when I prevent the marriage from happening. Yes, I wanted my son to be happy. But as a mother it is my responsibility to give him a good life. And I am not saying this to shove you away. In fact, I want you to stay by my son's side even for a moment. I want you to give him the happiness I never gave him. "

Never? If she heard right here.

"Because Jethro was young when we sent him to America to live and study there. Away from the chaotic living we had. Despite my decision to send him there alone, I did nothing. All I did was to pray he was alright. So when he returned to the Philippines I wanted to give him a happy and good life. I want to do my part as her mother, which I did not gave her before ... Stay by his side Cassandra, I won't mind. I know you are now one of the special women in her life. I do not work to cut my son's happiness. I already heard how he dated several women before. And it's alright with me, in his decision I'm out. I'm glad he still comes home, even if he didn't want to. So please, please stay with him. “it took her palms. It squeezed it and its dim eyes stared at her earnestly.

-

"Don't Jethro and Don Fructose really get along ... M-ma." The last word was a hesitation.

The lady stared at her as if her eyes and gaze were examining her.

"Don't worry Ma. I am a trustworthy person, I am not in the place to spread that to the public." she smiled reassuringly, that's also what Jethro said to his mother earlier when he said goodbye to take her for a walk. The second time she called "Ma" here it was casual and she seemed to be used to it.

"I think its best not to know that part anymore. Not because I don't trust you. Maybe I'm not ready yet."

Cassandra was confused. What does it say to prepare. Are there any dark secrets this family hide? Apart from what she has discovered now what else are the secrets kept by the Silvestre. She was curious, and heaven witnessed how she longed. She will not touch it until she knows it.

Now she wanted to stay even more because of what the lady told her. Even if she doubts the man's sincerity to her, she no longer cares. That's why Jethro is so jealous of Don Fructose because this is what she wants to marry Jillian. Their curiosity grew in her mind. She wanted to meet Don Fructose in person. She wanted to see the Don in flesh. One by one, Cassandra wanted to know Jethro's secret.

Their conversation went off the family picture after that. That's about how Donya Trinidad made the preparations for her wedding to Don Fructose. She was also curious about thing also.

Donya Trinidad told her story voluntarily. And as before it was like an open book she told her, her life and how she met Don. But for some reason she notices that it says nothing about Jethro's youth. But she also immediately erased that thought from hr brain. Jethro grew up in America so maybe they don't have much bonding with Donya Trinidad.

Jethro returned shortly after. It has dressed casually.

"I see, my Mom really entertains you." It smiled beside her.

"Son. I was the one who entertained by her. It was fun with Cassandra. I didn't know she was a fan of mine when I was young." Donya's laughter was about to go to laughter.

"It's nice of you to be there in the wedding tabloids. We used to fight over it at school. Good thing, I got copies."

Donya Trinidad and I both stopped laughing when Jethro sneezed and kicked her.

"Ma. I think it's time for me to take Cassandra away. I want to entertain her as well, take a break." He kissed his mother on the cheek.

"Immediately? I'm not tired yet. I still enjoy talking to Cassandra."

"Ma." Jethro gently kissed it.

"Okay. But bring her back later, we'll talk more." like a child frowning at it. He turned his gaze to her and reached for her knee. "Hija, are you having dinner here?"

"Ha ... ah ... eh. Isn't that embarrassing?"

"Nope I will prepare you a lot of food. I also don't have anyone to eat with. Fructose left and you will come home late."

Smiling Jethro nodded as he looked back. It seems to agree with the mother's suggestion. "All right."

-

"Good. All right ... I'll leave you two first, I'll just get ready." it is in a hurry to escape. "Take her for a walk here son!" chasing it before disappearing from their sight.

"Shall we?"

"Where will we go?"

"Don't you want to see the whole mansion? So, I want you to roam around. I want to take you for a walk here, I'm sure you'll like it a lot."

Cassandra just followed. They first went to the greenhouse she had seen earlier. Eggs, tomatoes and grapes are plentiful. On the edge are the rambutan plants full of ripe fruit. Jethro peeled a piece to taste it.

They also paddled for a while in the pond. She saw many fish — different kinds of fish. They are feeding them with fish food. Next they went to the flower shaped pool.

"This one's designed by my Mom." he said as they stood by the pool. The helper handed them a coconut drink.

"You're really close to your Mom aren't you?"

"Not really. But I have a lot of respect for her." a sudden glimpse of sweetness on her heart poured. She thought tycoons and womanizers like Jethro no longer value family. Yet here she is, a man with a family-orientation.

"I think my Mom likes you, Cas. I never see her smile like that before." she said as she finished drinking the coconut water.

They resumed sightseeing. Jethro took her to the vast flower garden they had passed through earlier. Not minding the eyes from everyone looking at her she was happy picking carnations and roses.

"Ouch!" She was shocked. Jethro immediately approached hr with only one step, the usual three steps between the two of them.

"W-what happened?"

"I was pierced by a rose thorn." the man squeezed her finger and saw the blood smuggle in there. She was surprised at what the young man did next. He's sucking the blood. The numbness and pain she felt was like magic that had disappeared.

"I think we need to go back and rest. We need to treat that."

"N-no it's okay Jeth. It's just a small wound."

But Jethro insisted. "Even."

"But what about those flowers, it's a pity if they are just thrown away?" She warily motioned.

"Don't worry I already sent some fruit and flowers to the mansion."

They went straight to the young man's room. The young man supported her to wash her wound in the sink. It also put a ban on aid here.

-

Only now did she examine the whole of the young man's room. The light coming from the bar shade of the lampshade was dim. The closet was adjacent to a glass slide where you could see the rows of suits and watches. The front of the bed was the balcony doors where there were two chairs and a table. The other glass slide adjacent to it was a mini library and his swivel chair. Maybe when there are urgent things to do in the office it brings that home. The ceiling was filled with stars and astronaut costumes glued permanently.

She repaired the first aid kit after closing the sliding door of the balcony and covering it with a thick curtain, only to find a dark room. It lit up the shady lampshade before she was startled. Their distance is shortened until their skin sticks to the arm. It sparks electricity. His fingers then crept filling the gap of her fingers. He stared at it.

"Jeth can I ask something?" her voice a little low than usual.

"Sure. What is it?" he attentively paused.

"Do you have dreams in life? I mean, if you did not become CEO, what would possibly be your profession?"

"Maybe I became an astronaut today. I want to travel in space." he said, looking at the ceiling.

"Is it hard to live in a life you never chose?" The pause was there, a little sadness in the eye but also recovered immediately.

"When I think of it I got used to it. I grew up with this kind of responsibility and I also do not regret it."

He fell silent suddenly. The words snapped her. Jethro being vulnerable makes her want to kiss him. She wanted to comfort him with her lips. Though it does not say he is not numb to not notice the jealousy in its voice.

She stared at him thoroughly. Examining him like crazy, she's looking at him intently trying to capture a perfect moment to kiss his lips that had been taunting her for days.

"Cas?" Jethro was confused by her gaze.

"Can I kiss you?" The man was surprised by what she said. Before it could say another word she pressed it with a sticky kiss. Her composure drifted away and just wanted to lay herself wholeheartedly for the man.

Between her kisses, Cassandra demands more.

"Own me Jethro. Make me believe in your sincerity." Then tuck their lips again.

Few moments and they both jumped into the fire of vocal temptation. Sex was their escape to the heat blazing on their bodies.