Chapter 15: Chapter 15

I fell to the floor as I heard my dad calling me again.

He was not supposed to be like this. The last time I saw him, he wasn't like this, fighting for his life to breathe. Is this the reason he had a divorce with my mom? Does he need to fight this thing alone? What is happening?

I felt a set of hands trying to hold me up, and that was Reagan. I glared at him for a second when he didn't even try to tell me about my father's serious condition.

I move away from him.

"You--"

"I was also told to keep a secret," he said, giving a hint that what he did was also a favor from my dad, just like what I did earlier. But this is much different.

I sighed and walked towards my dad. His eyelids are probably heavy, for he can only open his eyes a bit. He couldn't even move very much, as I can see him trying to move his hands. He's just smiling while looking at me.

I have to call my mother. She might go back if she knows what happened to Dad. This can be the reason we can become complete again. They can be on good terms, and we're never going to be separated.

"I'm going to call mom," I hastily dialed the number that Nana gave me before she followed mother.

While my phone is ringing, dad reached for my hand, and it weakens me as I watch him struggle to hold it. He slowly shook his head in disagreement with what I was about to do. I bit my lip to fight the urge to drop the call.

"Shhh," the father softly said between his heavy breathing.

"He ordered us not to tell anyone except you, if you had already decided to visit him."

I looked at Reagan, and he's just standing on the doorway long enough to look at me from afar. His expression softened already when he looked at my father's state.

I can't understand why they have to hide it from me. It simply doesn't matter if it is an order from their boss or what. I'm a family member, for God's sake!

I sighed, turned my gaze at my father, and smiled. I removed his hand and gently laid it down.

As I walked out of the room, I signaled to Reagan to follow me.

"You should know better!" I immediately exclaimed when he closed the door to my parents' room.

My eyes began to blur as I felt my tears falling down on my cheeks. This should not be happening. I've already had enough these past few weeks, and God knows how I struggled with those things. No matter how much I hate my father, it doesn't mean that I can ignore him right now that he's ill and alone. I need to be here.

"His condition?" I asked while trying to wipe my tears away.

"Acute liver cancer," Reagan answered right away.

"Well, he can have a donor, right?" I asked, hoping that there was something more to do than watch him suffer.

Reagan just looked at me and slightly lowered his head. "Your father refused any kind of surgery."

My lips parted as he said that. Stubbornness really runs in our blood, and my father is one heck of a stubborn man.

"You can't be saying that right now," I scoffed.

Reagan remained silent for a while, and then he gave me an envelope that had the label of my father's medication. How funny that he refuses any kind of surgery, but then he's also trying to live by drinking any pills that his doctor can offer.

"That's all you have to know, miss," he said, then walked straight down the hall.

When I opened the envelope, a bunch of prescriptions and receipts were arranged, and the schedule for dad's taking these medicines was also settled. The condition of his body is detailed, and I whimpered when I saw his signature on a DNR paper. All I need to do is carry on with all of this.

I read all the papers, but there's nothing that says anything about a wedding. I looked further, but there was nothing.

I got a little frightened when I realized there was going to be a surprise for me one of these days. My father is clever, and I'm sure he already planned it; I just need to know when he will drop the bomb in front of me. He may be sleeping peacefully, but there's so much war in his head, and he knows he needs to win it.

I deeply sighed and closed my eyes for a moment as I was thinking about when Dad could possibly put his plan into motion.

"Don't think about your father as a daredevil," I immediately stood up when Aunt Leticia appeared. She's Aunt Lucille's twin sister and the senior caretaker of our house. She's always on my father's side now and then, so I simply don't trust her.

Ha! Of course she's here. She's a loyal servant to my father, and seeing her presence in this very house of ours, I know they are still up to something. My father, even though tired and weak from medication, is still up to something. What a classic move!

"I didn't even think about how I should address my father after all of this," I said as naturally as I could.

The only reason she approached me right now was to talk about my dad and the authority she should have in our mansion. I never liked her.

"I believe you can recover while you're here," she motioned her hand directly to the hallway where my bedroom is.

I gathered all of the papers from the envelope that Reagan gave me, and when I looked at her, I smiled as I walked towards my room. She's just like her father—clever and tricky.

"I believe I can settle all by myself," I bluntly said as I walked past her to hint that I would still not marry any man that my father wishes me to have.

I can feel her heated and hateful stare from behind me. Who cares about her anyway? She's a mere housekeeper, whom I wish to be replaced by her warm-hearted twin sister.

I slammed the door when I entered my room to let them know that I'm mad from all the secrecy they intend to use to fool me. Knowing my father, he will not support any kind of my stubbornness, for he's already full of it. I paced back and forth to think about something, but I can't think straight enough!

I gasped loudly when my phone suddenly rang out of nowhere. I was so focused on thinking about my situation that I didn't even realize my phone had been vibrating all this time.

I immediately answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Thank God you're alive!" I can clearly hear Deniece's loud gasp after she spoke.

"Well, I'm not dead," I sarcastically answered.

"Well, you should remain alive, not dead!" She shouted at me so loudly that I even moved my phone away from my ear.

"You're overreacting, Natalie Deniece."

"I'm not quite overreacting up to the point where I follow you to the villa," she said with lots of sudden tease and excitement.

I can't help but frown at what she told me.

"There are always times that I don't understand what you're saying," I shook my head in disbelief. Out of all my friends that I knew, Deniece has always been like a riddle, but it's like she was never intended to be solved. She just prefers being alone, and that's contentment for her.

"I'm just saying there might be an unwanted visitor looking for you in the middle of the night, worrying like an idiot, and following his master to the garden of hell!" Deniece mischievously said while laughing.

My eyebrows almost met from frowning as I heard Deniece speak. What is she implying?

I looked at the window of my room, where I could see the view from the front gate where we entered. It's a bit far, but I can see it. It's past lunchtime, and the heat of the sun is already up. I can still hear Deniece's laugh, but I got bothered at our gate that's currently slowly opening.

I stiffened when I saw a familiar van. It's Deniece's van!

"Shut up!" I exclaimed when I realized that it was really her van. "You didn't tell me you were coming!"

"Who said I was coming?" She asked in a playful tone.

I squealed as I opened my door and ran quickly downstairs to fetch her. Even though the heat is extremely hot, I managed to get a cap and run outside in my excitement. I held the call for a moment, and when I reached the car door of her van, I opened it immediately. To my horror, I saw a different surprise from what I expected.

What is he doing here?

I'm still in shock after he grabbed my hand and pulled me inside the van. I was even more shocked when I felt his hand on my waist while the other was holding my hand. My bodies are so close, and I couldn't stop looking at his lips. I gulped twice. He's not looking, but he said something to his driver.

"Get outside first."

He's here. Kendric.

When he looked at me, I could see the intensity of his emotion, and his furious face suddenly made me smile for a little. I moved a few inches away from him, and he immediately let go of my hand when he realized what he had done.

"You keep coming out of nowhere, boss."

I teased him to make him more furious. What is he furious about anyway? It's not like I did something wrong. Did I do something?

"And you keep on making me want you for more."

I slightly smirked at what he said. He's going crazy, and he knows it for sure.

"Are you just telling me that to make me so impressed?" I said, trying to tease him more.

"Yes," he said as he looked straight into my eyes.

"I'm saying that because I want you to be impressed, but more than that, I want you to feel appreciated and cared for."

My lips parted when I heard how honestly he described how he wanted me to feel in his presence.

He let his guard down around me.

His gaze softens even more when I try to reach for his hand. I felt nervous about initiating this kind of gesture toward him. I guided his hand up to my cheek, and I let him caress it softly.

He felt different.

He's not like any other guy that I've dated. He's not afraid to tell me his honest feelings or opinion, and his little gesture just made me realize that I matter to him.

"Thank you, Kendric," I said, almost like a whisper.

His hands traveled down to my nape, and he swiftly put his forehead on mine. I can feel him breathing near my lips, and I parted my lips in anticipation of something.

It's like all of my problems about Dad and the engagement he still wishes to happen disappeared from my head the moment he closed the distance between us.

"Say it again."

I silently gasped for air when I heard his voice.

"Say my name."

My mind is going insane with his demand. I want to tease him, but I also want to see satisfaction on his face upon hearing his name again from me.

His other hand held mine, and he squeezed it gently. He then placed it on his chest, and from the way his heart was beating so fast, I smiled and moved away to meet his eyes.

"Kendric," I softly called him.

He then smiled at me, and with just a blink, I felt his lips touch mine.

At that moment, I knew I was already certain of my feelings.