Chapter 27: Chapter 27

"Him?" Sharon sits beside her lover. Consoling him, letting him know that she's there. She is definitely there. In many activities as it seems to be.

"Zayn..." Louis pinches the bridge of his nose and says the name.

"What would Zayn do?"

"He'd convince dad to cancel Cassie's ticket from going there. I'd do anything to stop her from leaving at this point." Says the man.

"You don't want her to leave. Is it because... you love her more than me?" Sharon asks from Louis. She needed to know his intentions with both of them. Cassandra and herself.

"Sharon..." Louis turns his body to face her. His hands clutching ahold of her shoulders as she closes her eyes and prepares herself for his answer, "I love you and I see you as a woman. It's only one kind of love. With Cassie... I don't know. One moment she's more than a soulmate and the next she's my... sister. An adopted sister who doesn't mind sharing the bed with me." His words made both their stomachs churn.

Uneasiness settles down the bottom of them pits as though someone was dumping rocks in an empty well.

"I think I understand why Cassie is behaving the way she is." Sharon speaks after a moment of silence.

"Yeah. I know too now."

A few seconds later, Zayn's ID displays on Louis' phone screen. He immediately picks up the call and puts it on the speaker. At this point, Louis found no reason to leave Sharon out from the mishap.

"Bro, you really think Dad will be convinced by me?"

"Yes, Zayn. This is a gamble and you're our only hope. You know dad won't even pay heed to me. Nor anyone else."

"What about Nick?"

"Does it look like he even cares about Cassie?" Louis' words strike through his heart.

"What a mean thing to say to your brother, brother." It wasn't Zayn's voice. It was Nick himself, Alex screaming at Louis while Zayn tries to bring Nick back into the conversation. In reality, Zayn too put the phone on speaker on his side while Louis happened to be oblivious about it.

"Guys, what's said is said. Zayn, would you some back?" Dan plays the big-brother role for now, calling Zayn back to the discussion.

"Boys-" Sharon speaks up, surprising the set of brothers at the other end of the line, "I think it's best if Zayn does go solo and handle this. Mister Johnson will listen to what Zayn will say because let's face it." Sharon takes a pause to look at Louis.

It was as though she was to say, 'I don't mean to hurt anyone of you, but this is the truth and you have to ingest the hard pill.'

"Zayn cares the most about Cassandra than anyone of you."

Nick and Zayn freeze. Especially Zayn.

Louis doesn't even think twice about her words and gets to his feet in a jiff, almost scaring Sharon by his aura. He snuffles the anger until all of them are done talking.

"A-anyway. Zayn, I think you should go convince your dad not to send her away. Even if she begs for it, let's win this decision against her. Frame her, belittle her, do whatever you want but let her stay in the city. You understand me?" Sharon tells Zayn.

"Y-yeah..." Zayn slowly drags his feet to the spotlight, where the phone was hung up. Alex, Dan and Nick stare at Zayn. He knew a secret of his has been spilled, but was it ever a secret?

All the brothers knew how Zayn was a sweetie overall but when it came to Cassandra, he was different.

He looked after her and lend her a shoulder every time. Helped her out with everything ever and had come to become her knight in shining armor. Every time.

"I'll just... leave."

The easy fact that everyone envied Zayn for how Cassandra prefers him every time she was down... it made Zayn nervous. The very brotherly bond that grew over a decade of time was about to be destroyed in these last days of them being together.

He found himself in a tangled situation.

Yet, he carries a huge burden onto himself.

His task, probably the last chance of saving, was convincing their dad.

Will he use all the measures, even good and bad to stop her from leaving? Or will he let her go?

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11:32PM

Zayn was alone in his room. For some reason, he sniffs the scent that lingers around his bed and pillow. Cassandra, the one week ago Cassandra has left her mark in his room. He was paranoid at this point, because if he closed his eyes, all he saw was her sweet smelting smile and her presence which made his body curl.

Unknowingly to him, a tear drop falls down his face.

What will he do now?

He was petrified because of the many responsibilities on him. The responsibility of his brothers', for bringing her to her real self. And about her...

Cassandra...

For some odd reason, Zayn denied to snatch away Cassandra's freedom. At some point, Zayn started questioning the brothers and their decision to forcefully keep Cassandra here. Each of them had their own intention. Most common one being their obsessive amounts of love for her.

But Zayn... he was different.

"What's making you do this, Cassie?"

Another drop. Pitter patter on his pillow case. A man has the right to express himself and so does Zayn. For now, he only had one of the people in this house to lean his head on.

Going out of his room, he knocks on a door.

It was Alex, in his bed hair state as he opens the door to bark on his face.

"Why-"

Upon seeing Zayn's crying face under the dim, Alex quietens down quickly. Alex was slightly taller than the older one. Out of care and concern, Alex pulls Zayn into a hug without any masculine barriers. They were brothers even if they weren't born of the same blood.

"I'm s-stressed, brother." Zayn confesses.

Alex being the bigger person, even if he was actually younger than Zayn, Alex had a heart of gold and everyone knew it.

"Shush..." the way Zayn was crying moved him to tears too. The whole 'Cassie situation' was getting to their very bones, mentally wracking down to every nerve. This was real obsession.

Zayn's never felt a hug so subtle yet confirming and assuring from anyone. He knew he can depend on Alex for anything, from now onwards.

"Calm down, bro. I know it's a lot for you to handle." Alex says. After a while, Zayn wanted to leave, there was nothing to let Alex know. He might even oppose Zayn now.

"I'll... leave. And thanks brother, I needed that."

"Ugh! You're so awkward and orthodox! Just call me Alex or bro, bro!" Punching Zayn on his shoulder, lightening the mood, Alex gives the elder one another hug before suddenly kissing his hair.

"Ew! What in Alabama was that!?" Zayn yells while Alex enjoys the cringe he initiated.

"Got you back anyway. Now get lost. I wanna sleep. My chick exhausted me today." Zayn knew Alex was talking about Ravine and he wanted to disappear in an instant.

"You're disgusting."

"So are you, freaky boy. We all know who makes women scream the best." Zayn rolls his eyes to the back of his head.

"Did you hit your head when you were born?"

"No bro. Cassandra happened." Alex tries to joke, one which for only he laughs.

"Not funny." Closing the door behind himself, he smiles at the closed door as a note of thanks. Making his way slowly and softly as if he had no care in the world, he lumps himself on the bed. Breathing her intoxicating presence again, he wonders where she might spend the night today again.

_<>_><_<>_

7:32AM

Next day

Cassandra wakes up, draped in a cute white frock as she discovers herself in her father's mansion. The Johnson mansion was in the opposite side of the city, no matter the centre, but still secluded and highly guarded.

Her old man had already been awake and sitting quietly, observing her wake up.

"Good morning, papa." She greets.

"Thanks for crashing my meeting yesterday, Cassandra." His old voice responds. Cassandra pouts and goes to him, hugging his neck and kissing his balding head.

"I'm sorry, my old man. I had my reasons. Are you... okay?" She asks him.

"I am supposed to ask you that, Cassandra." He says. She laughs, finding it taxing and funny to explain.

"Uh... I crashed at a man's apartment before making my way to your house."

"Are you carrying those bad germs on you?" He asks and she nods.

"Get away from me." Sr. Johnson says in a monotonous voice which makes her erupt in another fit of laughter.

"Honestly. You stink, Cassandra. I wonder how the poor maids changed you."

"I'm sorry for that, papa. I'll... prepare for my flight now." Saying that, the smile on her face begins to evaporate. Still having her arms wrapped around him, he slowly begins hugging her back. Cassandra consumes the fatherly love she will miss for the rest of her life. All in that one hug.

"Are you sure you want to go?" He asks Cassandra. She was tired of the question by now, but for the sake of the old man who changed her life, she kisses his cheek sweetly and hums.

"I'll go now." Parting from the hug, she prepares for the flight that should be in another two hours.

Half an hour passes by. Cassandra had her luggage bought and packed overnight. Thanks to her father, her clothes look like her old self. The cute nerd of her previous high school.

Carrying the important documents in a separate duffel, Cassandra turns to leave the huge white gate. The only person waving her goodbye was her father, tears in his eyes. What makes him cry? Was she doing something against everyone's will?

Perhaps, any decree now cannot hold her back. It wasn't her mind that tells her to leave. It was another entity, a nameless unknown who threatened her to the brink of her insanity.

With her luggage, Cassandra was carrying away a whole lot of memories in a bunch. Her heart sufficed, perhaps the memories brimmed over and exceeded the confines, but she'd cherish them for a lifetime.

And so, Cassandra begins her new journey, away from everyone she's ever loved and made relationships with.

Zayn's POV

I've never breathed this way before.

My heart. It was beating out of rhythm. I felt like it was going to explode.

I've found out where father had kept her safe for the few very nights she didn't come home. Cassandra was planning to leave to Korea, huh. For what reason?

Koreans... they look different than Americans right?

My eyes wander around, I had already stolen a lot of things. For example...

Louis' heavy ass wallet with his black card kept safely on his desk, I couldn't steal that one.

And the other was... the airport security's uniform.

I'd probably end up in prison for my shit, but it's all worth it if I just catch upto her in time.

Entering the lounge where our private jet awaits, along with the captains and air hostesses, I see Cassandra with her luggage. She's too call for all that she's started.

I almost started loathing her.

It appears the flight will take some time to leave.

That's it.

I'd do something similar like Cassandra.

You've inspired me for this madness, Cassie.

I hate you.

"U-um... what's your name, dear?" I ask the Korean looking woman. She was amongst the crew. If an opportunity arises, I was going to steal her uniform too.

My own consciousness starts guilt tripping me while I tried to pull the clothes away from her reach. I was so, so becoming good at this. Biting my lip while I held the most trivial of conversations with her, I quickly hide her stolen uniform behind myself, under my jacket and start making a run for my life.

I'm sure she's too dumb to even notice.

Well. Mission accomplished.

When I look in the mirror, a sleek black pencil skirt hugging my masculine thighs, I curse at one particular woman.

"Damn you, Cassandra. You're going to have a hard time for all the things you're making me do."

And so, the flight begins to fly up in the air.

My name was 'Sasha Braus' and I can't imagine a more beautiful name to throw out of the window.