6. Dishonesty

"Hello," Scarlet said, nervously fidgeting in front of my table. I was eating my vegetable sandwich at a round wooden table under a large maple tree.

"Hey," I said quietly. I didn't want to show any emotion in response to her presence, so I kept my face expressionless.

“May I sit here?” she inquired cautiously. Before returning to my sandwich, I nodded. She took the bench across from mine.

“How are you doing?”

“Had seen better days,” I said casually, and she nodded, guilty-looking.

“Are you still upset with me?” she asked softly, and I sighed deeply.

“I'm not angry, Scar; I'm just disappointed.” I leaned forward and clicked my tongue. "Do you honestly believe I'll do that to you? That I'll cheat on you, and with that jerk?”

“I know you won't,” she said, shaking her head. "I'm not sure what hit me that day. Maybe it was the alcohol,” she exhaled deeply, shaking her head, “I know that's not a good reason, but please accept my apologies. I should not have doubted you in the first place, drunk or sober. Please accept my heartfelt apologies.” She snatched my hands in hers and gripped them tightly.

“Scar-.”

“P-Please don't run away from me. “I can't lose you,” she said, her eyes welling up.

“I, too, don't want to lose you.” I offered her a shaky smile. “But please give me some time. I'm just... I can't seem to forget what happened,” she nodded in agreement.

After a few moments, she said, "I broke up with Andrew." “I-I caught him with another girl cheating. Karrie, he's not good for me, and I realized it too late,” she said. I squeezed her hand, unsure what to say. I'm glad she realized and ended her relationship with him.

"I should have paid attention to you. You warned me several times,” she said, shaking her head.

“It's fine. “Everyone makes mistakes,” she gave a sad smile.

“I promise I'll make amends.”

“I'm looking forward to it,” I said. I knew in my heart that I had forgiven Scarlet. It was my decision, not hers, to leave the apartment that night. She had fallen for the wrong person, and Andrew was brainwashing her, causing her to see more bad than good. Some people deserve a second chance, and she is one of them.

“Where are you now?” she inquired. I told her about the night I met Grecia and how she invited me to stay at her house.

“You know you can always come back to my place,” she admitted guiltily.

“Perhaps later. As I previously stated, I still require some time. Grecia doesn't want me to leave, and she appears to be trying to teach her son a lesson.” I said, and I could tell she was perplexed.

“That son is the one who got me fired, and he doesn't want me to stay in his house,” I explained, and her eyes widened.

“Oh, shit,” she exclaimed.

“Yeah,” I said, rubbing my temples. I tried several times to persuade Grecia that I could leave because I had found a shared apartment. But she refused to let me in no matter what. Scarlet's face lit up and her eyes widened.

“You know...” she began, and I nodded, encouraging her to continue, curious to learn what was on her mind.

“I'm not sure if I have the right to say this given our current relationship, and I still owe you an apology and-”

“Scarlet” “Come to the point,” I said.

“You know, now might be the best time to seek revenge on him ...for getting you fired,” she shrugged.

“How, though?”

“Such as dropping a glitter bomb in his room or stealing something valuable to him. However, you must be spontaneous and discrete so that he does not suspect you.”

I shook my head. “He'll figure it out. That mansion is completely surrounded by surveillance cameras.”

“A mansion and cameras? Who exactly do you live with?” Scarlet was taken aback.

“Er...Grecia Watson?” Her eyes widened to the size of saucers.

“And the name of her son is...”

“Logan Watson,” I said hesitantly, as her reaction scared me.

"Oh, Karrie..." “You have no idea with whom you're staying, do you?” Scarlet asked.

“What exactly is it?”

“Watson family is one of the wealthiest and strongest families in New York and how the hell can you call that hottest bachelor a jerk?”

The rest of the evening was spent on the computer, searching G****e for more information on the Watson family. Unfortunately, there wasn't much information available about them. It's similar to what Scarlet said but slightly exaggerated. I can tell Watsons used their influence to downplay scandals and rumors about them on social media. There isn't much in the media that cast them in a negative light. And that is saying a lot.

"There isn't much about them here," I grumbled, annoyed and frustrated at the lack of information. Logan was only given a brief description.

'Owner of a powerful company, man of his words, devilishly handsome, most eligible bachelor, 23-year-old young entrepreneur'

'23-year-old young entrepreneur, owner of a powerful company, man of his words, devilishly handsome, most eligible bachelor'

These are some of the words used to describe him on various websites. There were also numerous photographs of him. But I must confess. Except for his annoyingly chauvinist and egotistical personality, this man is a Greek God.

"Do you mind if I enter?" I jerked my head back to see Grecia standing on the threshold with a tray of food in her hands. I'm currently sitting with my legs crossed, facing the wall behind the bed, giving me a perfect view of what I'm doing on my laptop from behind. I prayed to all the Gods that Grecia wouldn't see anything. It will only cause embarrassment.

"Oh, hello there, Grecia. Yes, please come in." I responded. Grecia smiles at me as she walks over to the sofa by the window after handing me the food tray.

“Thank you,” I said, quickly closing the tab and turning around to face her.

"I didn't see you at dinner." So I just wanted to check in with you.”

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just looking for something and forgot about dinner."

"I see you were looking for us," she smirked. I laughed nervously, unsure of what to say. Crap!

“We keep details about our family on social media to a minimum. But you can ask me anything, and I'll respond if I can.”

I wanted to ask a lot of questions, but it appears that my mind went blank and came up with something stupid.

“Has Logan always been this way?” My question made me mentally cringe.

"Like, like what?"

"Difficult..... and Demanding....?" Before continuing, she lets out a small chuckle.

"He appears to be the most horrible person to be around at first, but once you get to know him, he isn't so bad,” she smiled in thought. “I was asked if his heart is made of steel or something. Some describe him as fearless, while others describe him as a heartless man. That's probably not something a mother wants to hear about her son. Others, however, are unaware of what he endured as a child. He has had a difficult life, and on top of that, he has many responsibilities as well as enemies. As a result, he has a tough demeanor and plays hard to get along. But don't let that frighten you. He just can't seem to keep his cool around other people." She stated.

"Oh," was my only response. What in the world am I supposed to say? That everybody is correct? That he's heartless and an asshole?

“You said he has a lot of enemies." She nodded her head, “but I don't see any bodyguards with him or you.”

Grecia chuckled, rolling her eyes, "Logan thinks he can protect himself," she said, "and for me, I don't like having two or three bulky boys following me everywhere I go, so I had warned him not to do so. But my dear son has a habit of going against what I say. So, he assigned some secret guards to follow me around. Poor boy, he thinks I don't know that,” she chuckled, but her expression darkened.

"I know he's just looking out for me, but I think by now everyone knows not to mess with Watson's family,” she frowned. I wanted to ask her what she meant by "no longer," but fate had other plans.

"Enough of us. Now tell me a little bit more about yourself "She stated. My breathing became more rapid.

"I've never heard you mention your family. “Have they returned to Worchester?” Grecia inquired. I swallowed the lump in my throat, blinking quickly as I counted to ten. Grecia noticed my drooping shoulders and studied me from behind her lashes.

"Are you okay, Darling?" She inquired as she rose from the sofa and sat beside me. She wrapped her arm around my shoulder, gently squeezing me.

Let's get started!

"I'm sorry for not informing you sooner. My parents... they're no longer with me." Her brows furrowed in perplexity, and I exhaled slowly.

"They passed away a few months ago." I hiccuped but blink away the tears that threaten to fall.

"Oh my god...I'm so sorry," she says as she covers her mouth with her hands, and I give her a weak smile as I trudge through the painful memories.

"How could that have happened?"

"Car accident," I easily lied. It's always easier to lie than it is, to tell the truth. The truth elicits sympathy and fear. That is not something I want to hear from anyone. And I have no intention of telling anyone the truth any time soon. It's preferable that way. I don't want to involve anyone else in my problem. Grecia, in particular, is a wonderful person.

"They were the best parents a kid could ask for. They were my closest companions. My life was full of color with them, and despite being an only child, I never felt sad or lonely. They taught me about love, relationships, and patience. You already know that whatever I do will end up being a shambles. They made me laugh whenever I was down. But now they've abandoned me. I've felt incomplete since the day they left..... I-I miss them terribly.” As tears streamed down my cheeks, I covered my face with my hands. This irritates me! I despise being exposed.

"Shh..... It's all right. You don't have to say anything else "She said this while hugging me so tightly that I feel like I'm going to burst. But maybe that's exactly what I needed. A hug that's so tight that it reassembles all of my broken pieces.

"I'm so sorry, Karolia," Grecia says into my ear, and she just holds me there, letting me cry on her shoulders while she strokes my hair. I feel guilty for not telling her the truth, despite the fact that she was gracious enough to provide me with shelter. And now she is the one consoling me as well. But I'm not going to tell her. I'm not going to tell anyone. Logan's voice echoed in the silent room, causing us to back up. I quickly wiped away my tears so he wouldn't notice I was crying.

"May I speak with you?" Logan looked at me with interest.

"Of course, yes. Logan, please wait outside for me." He nodded, but his face was unsure as he exited the room. Grecia gave me a sad smile and asked me to eat dinner before leaving the room.

********

(Next morning)

Logan's POV:

"Good morning, Mom " I take a glass from the cupboard and fill it with water.

"Morning," she says as she gets some homemade sweets from the fridge and places them on the counter. I tried to sneak a sweet while she was busy pouring coffee into her mug. But before I could touch it, she slapped my hand away.

“What was the point of that?” I rubbed my hand and frowned.

"This isn't for you," she explained.

"As if you're young enough to eat all these sweets by yourself," I teased, smirking.

"Remember, it's not just you and me in here right now," she said, her brow furrowed. Then I remembered Mom comforting that girl the day before. I know I shouldn't have asked because I respect people's privacy, but my curiosity got the best of me.

"By the way, mom, what were you doing yesterday?" I asked, trying to maintain an innocent expression on my face.

"Look who's bothering you," she smirked, causing me to roll my eyes.

"I'm not bothered mom, I'm just curious," I shrugged, though I was curious.

"Listen, Logan, I know you and her didn't get off to a good start, but she is not someone with whom you should pick a fight. She has been through a lot, and she is now at a crossroads in her life. Her past was tragic, and she is now broken. She needs to move on, and she will need assistance to do so. I'm not demanding that you make her happy, but at the very least, try not to make her sad. That is the very least you can do." She said this while patting my shoulder. I give a nod of my head. My curiosity was piqued, but I decided not to pursue the matter further.

"What was her name, by the way?"

"You really need to have your head examined, my son. She's been with us for a week and you still don't know what her name is," mom said, shaking her head.

"Come on, you know I never listen in on your conversations," I joked. My head was smacked as her response.

"Karolia”

-----

I trudged inside, tossing my keys into the bowl, exhausted from the day's work. The air was filled with the subtle aroma of spices, which drew me to the kitchen.

“Mom?” My voice echoed down the silent corridor as I yelled. As soon as I stepped into the kitchen, I was greeted by faint music. Karolia swayed lightly to the music, her gaze fixed on the lasagna as she sprinkled oregano on top. I watched her dance to the music for a few seconds before shaking my head and snapping out of my reverie.

“Where has Mom gone?” I inquired. She jumped a little when she heard my voice, her eyes widening.

“Oh, you scared me,” she exclaimed, her hand on her chest. “W-what did you inquire?”

“What are you doing in the kitchen, and where is Mom?” I queried, crossing my arms. I noticed her gaze running up and down my figure, which was dressed in a black suit, and a slight smirk formed on my lips as a cute blush coated her cheeks.

“Grecia isn't home, so I figured I'd make dinner,” she said quickly. I nodded and turned to walk out of the kitchen.

“Logan,” Karolia said softly, and I turned to face her once more. She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear. Her stiff shoulders told me she was nervous.

“I'm sorry,” she apologized, looking up at me through her lashes. I raised my brows, not quite understanding her point. “You know, for your loss in your company because of me, breaking your car glass...and also for dumping pasta on your head...” she cringed at the memory, “...even though you sorta deserved it all,” she mumbled softly under her breath, but I could pick up on her words from her lip movement.

“I accept your apology, but I'm not sorry for getting you fired,” I said, and I could tell she was taken aback.

“You humiliated and embarrassed me in front of my business advisors, and I will not tolerate it. You earned what you got.”

After a few moments of stunned silence, she exclaimed, "You are a douche." I took a commanding step forward.

“Watch your words,” I cautioned.

“Or are you going to throw me out of the house again?” she asked, her chin jutting out in defiance. Feisty.

“I might,” I said as I approached her slowly. Even though her eyes were slightly fearful, she stood firm as I approached her.

“You might have to explain to Grecia,” she suggested. I snatched her arm and drew her closer to me. She let out a soft gasp.

“Are you trying to intimidate me?” My veins boiled with rage as I inquired. “Remember your place, sweetheart,” I said quietly into her ears. I could feel her tenseness increasing.

“You're just a homeless girl who touched my mother's heart. I could destroy you and your family,” I said coldly. She struggled to break free, but I tightened my grip on her, causing her to hiss in pain.

“Let go of me...” she pleaded softly. I drew her in closer, a finger under her chin forcing her to look into my eyes. Her eyes were filled with tears, and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Please...let go of me," she pleaded, her voice trembling and her lips trembling. Something snapped inside of me, and I let her go almost immediately. More tears streamed down her cheeks as she staggered back, cradling her arm. I walked away, unable to bear witness to her anguish.

I can't stand it when girls cry, and now I'm the cause of her tears. This time, I went too far, but I was consumed by rage. No one has ever disrespected me, and those who have haven't seen the light of day in years. But the fact that I couldn't do anything to her irritated me. There's something about her that keeps me from ruining her, and I know it's not because of her relationship with her mother.

So, what exactly is it?

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