Chapter 1. The Machiavellian Mother

Brandon's Pov

I was at peace sitting in my office chair, playing the pen in my hand, when suddenly someone slammed the door forcefully and made my nerves awaken.

"What are you doing?" A loud voice echoed in my office room when she entered, just to ruin my peacefulness.

I sighed and looked straight ahead at her. "Maybe next time you can lower your voice when you enter my office," I sarcastically said.

"I'm your mother! Don't you dare command me. I'll do whatever I want to." She shouted angrily, "You have to fix this mess, Brandon Rhey!" She's referring to the problem of building our resort in Palawan, which is that the contractor cancelled their contract.

"I would, so please leave now." She furrowed her eyebrows, came closer to me, and propped her hands on my desk.

"I gave you time for this if you wouldn't take action immediately. You will marry Flaire's daughter," she said and sneered.

A surge of heat shot through my body. Calm down... I warned myself; she was just teasing me. I know she can't do that.

"If you two will get married, we can easily get permitted to build our businesses in Palawan. Not just that, but over the Philippines," She stated, "and we can also have access to the place where it's better to build a business." She added, and my hands tightened into fists as I heard how cruel she is... She's got too much greed!

Her voice echoed in my mind as she left the office. How could she be so desperate when it comes to business?

I drive away from the company using my BMW car, letting my secretary stay there while I scrutinize why the contractor cancelled their contract.

I was on my way to meet Helsey.

Minutes later, I saw her standing outside in front of their house. I guessed she was waiting for me!

She's wearing black jeans and a plain white t-shirt. She's so simple yet pretty, and she looks elegant.

I made a U-turn as I reached her and parked the car. She quickly walked across the street in my direction.

"I guessed. You ran away again from your mother," she jestfully said at me when I opened the windshield. I shook my head in disbelief and opened the door. She knows me well.

"Then you're right!" I said and sweetly smiled at her. "Get inside." She immediately stepped into my car.

Where are we going? " She asked and buckled the seatbelt.

Where do you want to go? "I asked back, looking insanely at her.

"Don't look at me like that, Brandon Rhey." I chuckled, and she gave me a light slap at the shoulder.

We headed to my house. I wanted to spend time with her after a stressful day at the office. A stressful time with my mother, who only gives pressure to her son.

We arrived, and the guard opened the gate for us. I drive in and park my Car in the garage.

"What do you want me to cook?" Helsey asked me while I was typing my passcode to open the house.

"As usual," I responded, stroking my shoes and putting them on the Shoe rack. She did as well.

We entered the house, and I hugged her tight as if there was no tomorrow.

I missed her. I missed her smell. Everything. I'm obsessed with her.

"Ewwwww." We jumped out as we heard a raucous voice. As quick as a flash, I moved away from Helsey, loosening my tie, and stood normally.

"What the hell are you doing here? I shrill my voice, and I hear Helsey giggle.

Helsey moved closer to me. "Blushing like a tomato, ha," she whispered.

Whatever! I walk towards Reagon and throw a glowering look at him.

"What?" I asked. I knew what he was thinking, and I didn't want him to articulate it.

Raegon just shook his head.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him again with my lower, calming voice. "Are you running again?" I added.

"Of course, Where else could I hide? Except in your house full of beers," he says and chortles.

"You problematic asshole. You should start looking for a girlfriend so you can hide her house, not mine." I glared at him.

"Maybe you can call Mira for me, Helsey." Reagon smirked at me.

Really? In my house? Argh!

Sure, why not? ".

"No!" I said.

"You're bad, Brandon Rhey." She groused and pouted. She used to call me by my full name.

"I just wanted to rest Sey, and if you'd invite Mira, for sure Reagon wouldn't stop talking," I declared. I just don't want herfriend to be her; I felt weird when she was around.

"You're ---" before Reagon concluded... whatever it is.

"Let's go to my room, Sey." I called Helsey to come with me.

I looked at Reagon, who was now raising his brows at me. I shook my head and smiled insanely.

We entered my room.

and I banged myself through my bed. It feels great." I groaned.

Helsey also banged herself against the bed and moved closer to me. "Bed always feels great for everything," she said.

"Everything?" I asked her teasingly.

"Shut up! You grin minded." A curvaceous smile formed on my lips as she gave a spank to my hand. She got up from reclining and deadly stared at me.

"What?" I asked; she didn't answer, and she was about to stand, but I immediately grabbed her hand, and she fell back to the bed right through my side.

I immediately got through above her. She froze as if this were our first time.

"Brandon Rhey!" She grumbled my name. "You're heavy." My jaw dropped as she said it. I quickly moved away from her and sat on the verge of the bed.

"Kidding aside." And she burst out of her teasing laughter.

We went downstairs, and to my surprise... Raegon wasn't there; he wasn't in the kitchen either.

"He might go back home, you arrogant friend," Helsey said. Is he offended by what I said earlier? We used to do that ourselves.

"I don't think so."

"You're a really bad asshole!"

"Do I?"

"Of course." Our naughtiness stopped as we heard a loud noise as she slammed the door. We heard her heels creak through the kitchen, and as I watched Helsey, Now,holding tight to my shirt hem, It look nervy.

Helsey hadn't met yet with my mother. I don't know what would happen if their paths crossed, and Helsey isn't a girl that she'd like for me to be with.

"Hey,little brother." A sigh of relief when she appeared."Oh! Isn't she you'd recounted to me, Brandon?... Helsey right? Nice to meet you." She said. Helsey and Bianey shake hands.

"Nice to meet you too," Helsey responded.

The girls are cooking for dinner. Bianey seems to be so close to Helsey, knowing they've just met each other today. While they are chit-chatting, I am also sitting on my sofa, calling my secretary to see what is going on about the Cancelled contract.

"Mr. Wilsome, it is all about the building contract agreement that has an informally error. And they've said they aren't allowed to start until the papers are fixed. You should talk personally through the contractor right away. Should I book you a flight?" She ventilated.

"No, I'd use my private jet to get in there. Just go reach out to my pilot and tell him we urgently go there tomorrow."

"Okay, Mr. Wilsome," she said, and she hung up the phone.

"Dinners are ready," Helsey announced as she set down the plate of Mongolian beef.

I knew it from the smell of Mongolian beef she usually cooked for me. I stood up and drew close to Helsey as she prepared the plates on the table while I fanned my hand to a remnant of smoke from newly cooked Mongolian beef. so I could smell the aroma of it.

"I really love this meal," I said. "You probably thank yourself for having me," She said in a candid tone, and she pressed her fingers to her lips as she thought and waited for me to respond.

"Aren't you thankful to have me? she said, and I gave her a gracious smile. "Who says?" I asked, moving closer to her and hugging her back, burying my face in her neck as I smelled her sweet, unforgettable scent. "I am over the moon you came into my life. I wouldn't thank myself for having you."

"What? "She Moved a little bit, and I loosen my arm from the hug. Her reaction startled me.

I signed, "I wouldn't say thank you; thanking myself isn't enough to have you." I explained, That sounds so cheesy, but that's a fact! She seemed to not get it and gave me a baffled look.

I gave her a peck kiss on the lips.

"Ouch! My eyes hurt." Our spirit returned. We tend our heads to Bianey, who's holding a plate containing freshly cooked chicken tagine and acting like dust in one's eye, rubbing it with her right hand while holding the plate with her left hand.

Helsey quickly offered to help put the plate down on the table.

"You should have needed to look for someone, so your eyes won't hurt seeing us, Helsety doing... You know what I mean," I said and smirked at her; she rolled her eyes.

"Nevermind! I'll be independent forever," She said, while raising her brow at me."than being intosomeonewho'slikeReagon." I don't know what the heck she's saying; she said it as fast as she could, but I still heard Reagon's name being mentioned.

I just shook my head as I watched her walk through the table and grab a chair to sit on.

We eat our dinner while having some chit-chat about nonsense things. Bianey's so talkative; she keeps talking to my girlfriend, Helsey, yet she's like, "Ehehe..." Helsey just rides what Bianey's talking about. I was lessening her talk about her life in the State and the way she wasn't like Reagon being here.

We've done our dinner, and Helsey says goodbye to Bianey as she goes back home.

"Bring her here again, Brandon. I'll be staying here then." My eyes widened as I heard her saying she's going to be staying at my home. It mustn't be a good idea; her voice is as loud as a horn, and that irritates me. She can't talk like a real girl; she had our mom's voice, but the attitude is different from hers.

"Would you like to come with me?" I asked Helsey as we got to her house. She looked at me confusedly.

"Where?"

"Palawan."

"Really?" Her mouth curled into a smile, but her smile faded quickly, and she sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't; I have work," She disappointedly said.

"I'll pay for your whole day Salary." I offered

The silence between us as she contemplated it. "Okay, but could you bring your sister too?" My jaw dropped. For real?

As we headed to Palawan using a private jet. I never thought it would be as peaceful as I expected. My sister and Helsey were sleeping. Helsey slept; she told me she was having difficulty sleeping last night.

Hours later, we finally landed at the Amanpulo resort. Bianey and Helsey had woken up already.

Some stuff helped us carry our luggage as we exited the jet.

Helsey's face looks so amazed as she looked around the place.

"Have you been here before?" She asked me.

"Yes. Several times." Helsey gave me a half-smile.

"Does it cost much?"

"Not so."

"I see."

I said goodbye to them as the helicopter arrived at the heliport of the resort.

After we flew, we arrived at the site where I was going to meet the contractor to fix the problem we faced as they didn't allow us to build a hotel/resort in the estate and why they cancelled the contract.

"Good afternoon, sir," Said the person who now leads me to the office site.

He handed me the papers, and I read them.

"Why hadn't anyone reached me out?" I asked, and I screwed up my face.

"I called, sir, but your mother answered the telephone."

"You called the company number?" I guessed. Now I know why my mother burst out of anger. "Next time, reach out to my secretary, and never call the company number again." And He leered.

I headed back to the Amanpulo after having a meeting. It's already 8 p.m., and I felt drowsy as we flew back to the resort.

I opened the room where Helsey and I stayed overnight. I shouted her name.

"I'm at the bathroom," she responded.

I found her soaking herself in the tub.

"How are you?"

As she asked, I kneeled down beside the tub so I could face her.

I kissed her forehead. "I'm a bit tired."

"Would you like to jo---?"

My phone rang. "Go ahead," She said. I exited the bathroom and answered my phone outside of the room.

"Brandon Rhey?" Her voice hurts my eardrum as I put the phone in my ear.

"Yes mother?

"How is it real that you have your girlfriend in Palawan?" My heart fluttered as she said it. How does she know it?

"Are you spying on me?" I angrily asked her.

"It doesn't matter, Brandon Rhey. You can't date as poor as a church mouse girl like her."

"How machiavellian are you? You can't insult her like that. You don't know her." I grin my teeth in anger.

"Well, that's a fact," she said, and I ended the call. She didn't fail me to get on my nerves every time.

Seconds later I received a text from her.

"Don't you dare fool yourself, Brandon Rhey! You deserved better and not like her. If you don't stop right away, I will disinherit you."

"I will make sure that girl's life will be miserable as hell if you don't stop that foolish relationship with her!"