Bad Start!

At the nearby restaurant, I was watching the little angel as he was eating. I didn't order anything for myself as I wasn't hungry. Martin didn't order anything either. After he had calmed down from the terrible experience he went through, he told me his name was Ayato. He didn't mention anything more than that.

" How's the food, Ayato?" Is it to your liking?" I asked him as he was eating with passion.

Ayato is a boy with semi-short black hair with clear blue eyes. Judging by his behavior and appearance, I can predict that he's between six to seven years old.

" It's delicious." Thanks, beautiful lady!" He responded with a bright smile. He continued to eat and I kept watching him. Martin was just there, staring at both of us.

" Aren't you going to order anything, Martin?" I asked even though I knew he was probably not hungry because if he was, he would have ordered from the very start.

" I'm good, Ayase." Moreover, shouldn't you be the one to order something?" He cleverly pushed the question in my direction. What kind of made it rather awkward was when Ayato also got intrigued.

" Aren't you hungry?" Aren't you going to eat?" He looked at me with his blue starry eyes. They were very beautiful and I could almost see my reflection in them.

" I've eaten before coming to this event. Don't worry about me and keep eating!" I felt rather guilty to be lying to a child as I was doing. The truth was slightly different than the white lie I told him.

" Okay!" I'll keep eating, then!" He nodded and went back to his plate.

Martin was staring at me with insistence. He might have had several questions to ask me with the most important one being, why did I lie?

" I'm done with my food." Thank you so much!" He thanked me with extreme politeness. Never in my life had I had the privilege of having someone behaving this politely towards me. It was very pleasant.

" You're welcome!"

When it was time to pay the note, Martin wanted to take care of it but I refused. I paid the note instead.

" What's your name, beautiful lady?" He asked me abruptly. 

" My name?"

" Yes, your name!" You haven't told me yet, so what is it?"

(He's right! I never told him my name now, did I?)

" Ayase------- Ayase Nakamura and this guy over here is Martin, my assistant." I formally introduced myself before him. He grinned with an even larger grin than before.

" Nice to meet you. I'm Ayato Nascimento." He extended his hand towards me for a handshake. Before I could grab it, someone forcefully pushed me away and I almost fell. Fortunately, Martin caught me in time.

" What were you about to do just now?"

When I looked up, after properly standing back up, I saw a man with a rather stoic appearance and imposing demeanor before me. By the look of things, he looked quite identical to Ayato. Not only that but he was also the rude man who bumped into me a couple of hours earlier.

" Dad, this is not what you think. This lady was-------------" Ayato wanted to explain everything to his father but it wasn't part of his plans to listen to reason.

" Shut up, son!" He shouted at him and Ayato froze there in fear.

" Shouting at a child is not proper manners, Mister!" I showed my disapproval at what he had done. Martin was interrupting me with gestures. He wanted to tell me something and I was sure of it.

" Are you going to teach me how to discipline my son?" He asked with infuriating eyes and tone. Although I was a bit intimidated, I didn't back down and stood my ground.

Martin interrupted once more before I could answer him back. " Please, forgive us, Mr. Sebastian Nasimento. Whatever it is that we did, please, humbly forgive us!" That was what he said.

" Sebastian Nascimento?"

I was taken aback by that name. Sebastian Nascimento is a billionaire. He took the world by storm when he was just nineteen years old. He has a large chain of corporations around the world. He's a legend and a role model for many. He's highly respected among his peers and also feared in that regard.

" Please, forgive our mistake, Mr. Nascimento!"

" Forgive your mistakes!" Should I forgive kidnappers?"

(Kidnappers?)

" What are you talking about, Sir?" I don't quite understand what you mean." Martin said as he looked utterly confused.

" What don't you understand?" You're kidnappers who shamelessly kidnapped my son and now you're asking for forgiveness? How petty of you!"

(Kidnapping? He's accusing us of kidnapping?)

" Sir, I highly think there's a misunderstanding. We didn't kidnap the young master." If anything, we saved him from the real kidnappers." Martin said explanatory, hoping Sebastian Nascimento would understand his claims but it was all in vain.

" Save your excuses for the police!" He said sarcastically. Ayato tried to explain the situation to him again but he didn't have that chance.

" The police?" Sir, please! You're misunderstanding us."

I was quiet all the time as I didn't want to cause an uproar but seeing Martin standing there miserably as he tried his best to convince Sebastian Nascimento of the truth was more than I could handle. I couldn't standby anymore, watching everything. 

" Martin, that's enough!" I pushed him backward and took his place in the front. I was now confronted with the strong and menacing demeanor of Sebastian Nascimento. 

" Ayase, I can take care of it." Martin knew me for a fact. I couldn't control my temper when angry which is why whenever I was in a sour state, he was always the one to take care of things.

" Sorry but, I can't stand idly while we're being questioned like this," I said with an angry yet composed tone.

" Who do you think you are, huh?" I raised my voice at Sebastian Nascimento before me.

" Just because you're a billionaire, you think that gives you all the rights?" How impertinent of you!" I let out all my frustration and threw it all at him. The guards by his side were looking spectacularly at what was taking place.

" Ayase, don't utter anything anymore!" Martin was trying his best to get me to stop talking.

" You want to have us arrested?" On what ground, please! How can you accuse us of kidnapping when all we did was rescue your son from being taken away."

" Moreover, do you even have the slightest proof?" Sebastian looked at one of his guards, the one in the middle. He was the one who had seen everything and went to report to his master.

" One of my men saw you when you were kidnapping my son. Isn't that right?" He asked with authority. 

" Yes!" The guard nodded. Just then, a police siren was heard and Martin started to worry as to what would happen to them. He wanted to plead with Sebastian once more to let them off but Ayase grasped his hand firmly.

" No, Martin!" I won't let you humiliate yourself anymore." I stared at him as I slightly shouted.

" Mr. Nascimento, we've come on your command." Who are the kidnappers?" One police officer asked. Sebastian pointed towards us and Martin flinched in fear but I wasn't the least bit scared.

" Sir, Miss, come with us!" The officer came towards us holding locks in his hands. He forwarded his hand to put the locks on us when,------------

" One moment, officers!"

" What is it?"

" How can you arrest someone in the absence of proof?" Do you have any proof whatsoever that I tried to kidnap this boy along with my assistant?" Martin was surprised by my sudden act of confidence. No fear could be read in my eyes as I didn't fear anything.

" Well, that's--------------" My question left them perplexed. They looked at Sebastian Nascimento as they were quite lost and had no idea of what to do.

" Without proof, you cannot arrest us under no circumstances, not even money on that matter." That's what the law says and you must abide by it. Isn't that right, officers?" I left everyone speechless. As the guards were quite impressed, Sebastian Nascimento was fuming in anger.

(The way Ayase's behaving, could she have a plan to get us out of this situation?)

" I can assure you, officers, that we're not kidnappers." If we were, this wouldn't make any sense at all." My last statement confused them, even Martin was confused as well.

" What kidnappers in their right mind would bring the one being kidnapped to a place where he could be easily found and by his relatives, no less." Only kidnappers without a brain cell would do something like that, don't you think, officers?"

" She got a point there, Mr. Nascimento." The officers had to agree with my collaborative deduction but I wasn't quite done exposing all the pieces.

" Don't be fooled by her innocent appearance!" I'm sure she brainwashed my son into following her anywhere she wanted." Sebastian made a point that forced the officers to react again.

" Second point, officers!"

" Yes!"

" Can you check whether the boy's clothes are torn anywhere?" The officers checked and no clothes were torn, however,

" He has bruises on his hands." They showed the bruises to Mr. Nascimento who now had strong proof to get me arrested.

" What do you have to say for yourself now, kidnapper?"

" Officers, please check whether he has any injuries!" The officers became lost as none of them was able to understand what it was that I was trying to prove.

(What is it that you're planning? I can't even understand what you're trying to do here.)

" Miss, I think that's about enough, don't you think?"

" Please, do as I've said!" Check whether he has any injuries on him by putting aside the bruises, of course."

Sebastian Nascimento stared at me as he tried to read through me. He wanted to understand why I wanted to prove him wrong. Our gazes intertwined as one of the officers went to check Ayato.