Chapter 12

It's been a few hours since Jaxson left me in his room, clueless about where he is going.

After changing the damp clothes I was wearing, which I took from Jaxson’s closet without his permission, I ran out of things to do and was just dumbfounded in the empty space of the room. At this point, I really look like a prisoner in this large room.

I also never saw Gunther again after what had happened in the pool earlier. Perhaps he is already sleeping at this hour as the night grows darker.

A booming sound coming from my phone's ringtone broke the silence.

I almost leaped in excitement as I frantically searched through my bag for it. This might be mom who’s calling me.

When I finally got it from the bag, I nearly tore my lips apart with my smile, which grew even more when I saw Mom's name on the screen.

I didn't waste any time and answered the phone right away.

“Hello, mom!?” My hand instantly flew to my mouth as my voice grew louder in excitement. “Mom?” I called her name again on the other line, and this time in a calmer tone. But still, the anticipation can be traced to my voice.

The corners of my lips dropped as my grins faded when I heard no response on the other end of the line.

I took my phone out of my ear and checked the issue.

“No bar signal?” I whined. “How come there is no signal in this enormous house?”

I felt upset and disgruntled because I only had a few opportunities to talk with my mother, and yet this is happening.

I walked over to the side of the door and instantly put on the slippers that had been placed underneath.

I’m not even surprised that only about half of my feet took up the space, because the owner of this is Jaxson. Because of the big sizes of everything I'm wearing now, from the shirt to the slippers, I feel like a kid who wears his father's belongings.

I lifted my gaze to the side of the door and imitated what Aunt Elsie gestured before opening it. I reached for the door with my hand outstretched, facing the entrance as if opening a magic portal.

“ACCESS DENIED.”

I recoiled in panic when the gigantic door had spoken and began to flash red lights all over it.

I stepped closer to attempt it again after the lights went off in 5 seconds.

“ACCESS DENIED.”

I let out a long and resounding sigh of disappointment.

I raised my phone to see whether there was already a bar signal, but it was too weak for transferring calls.

I returned to my seat, losing hope, and stared at the vast door as if it might open by just plainly looking at it.

When my eyes landed on the small screen beside the entrance where I had previously seen Gunther, my feet deliberately raced towards it and these large slippers almost caused me to stumble.

I hastily did the same thing Jaxson did and tapped it.

“H-Hello?” I called out softly, hoping that someone outside could hear my voice. “Hello? Is there anybody around?” I yelled once more as I pressed the button, but this time it was louder. “Hello?!”

“Ms. Santos?”

I rushed to find the voice I'd heard, and I saw Jaxson's lawyer, who had been with us recently, on the screen.

“Attorney Campbell?” I implored.

I noticed his face flashed a scowl when he heard me.

“— Could you please… H-Help me? I'm stuck here and I can't get out.”

“Well, sadly, no.” He replied a bit rudely which made my eyebrows meet as my lower lip lifted in surprise.

“But, is there any reason you can't help me? Did Jaxson command me not to leave his room tonight?”

There's no trace of emotions on his straight face. “No, nothing like that happened. But, I can't help you.”

“Then, w-why?” I asked in wonder.

“Simply because you called me Attorney Campbell.”

I couldn't help but frown at what he said. “What do you want me to call you then?” I raised a question, as my voice kept sounding very polite to him.

I am this desperate to speak with mom right now. I don't even know when we will get another chance to talk.

“Finn!” he exclaimed enthusiastically. “Or Finnley, since that's my given name.”

“Finn… okay! Can you help me now?”

He vanished from the screen after saying, “No problem, Cattleya.”

“Wait! Where are you going!? Finn? Finnley!” I screeched, worriedly searching for him on the screen.

“It's done, Cattleya. Relax.” I seemed to be revived as I heard his voice closer. “I am helping you get out of here, okay? But! Don't make the mistake of trying to run away from Jax. I still love my precious life, and I have one more bar exam to pass.”

Finn, Jaxson's lawyer, uttered. But I didn't respond to him and eagerly went outside to find a better signal and talk to mom.

“Hey, wait! Where are you going at this late hour? Why are you in such a rush?”

When Finn spoke again, I gave him another glance. And I was indeed in a hurry since I managed to move away from where he was standing right quickly.

“— You don't have any bad ideas... Do you?” he continued.

His tone made me suddenly snicker. Finn's voice has a slang dialect that makes it so endearing to listen to.

He was quite solemn to talk to and appeared to be a diligent man when he was at work, as he had been earlier. But, when the papers and work were no longer in front of him, he seemed to speak more casually and youthfully.

“Don't worry.” I let out. “I'm not planning to leave. I'll just go somewhere outside and look for a better connection to call my mother. The bar signal is weak indoors.”

It's really strange, given how wealthy this family is, and yet their mansion had no service.

I hurriedly walked away, leaving Finn to continue looking for the bar signal. I just kept walking until I reached the outside, where several gleaming cars were parked. They look like the car that Jaxson drove to university. It’s as though they're being wiped every minute. Because there's nothing dirt visible.

Is that why their workers are still awake this late?

No, but seriously. The people who are working at the Madrigal mansion seem to never take a rest because their employees are still awake and look extraordinarily busy.

When I realized that two bar signals had been added, my face livened up, and I dialed Mom straight away.

“Hello?”

[“Cat?”] I could hear her calling my name on the other end of the line.

“Mom, how are you doing there?” I asked, feeling my hand lift reflexively to my chest. “And what about Charles? Does he seem to be feeling better now?”

[“That’s actually one of the reasons I wanted to call you, Catt. We received a phone call a short while ago that claimed it was from your boss over there. They informed me that carrying out Charles' surgery in the Philippines would be impossible. And, because the hospitals here lack the necessary equipment and technology, they said that it is crucial to transport your brother to America as soon as possible.”]

I just stood in silence listening to Mom's voice on the other end of the call.

I felt a little lighter in my heart when I heard that Jaxson had fulfilled our agreement. And hearing my mother's voice grows a little more lively.

[“Bringing us to America will make the surgery safer because advanced machines are accessible abroad. That's what they told me. I was concerned about the cost of bringing your brother, Charles, there, but the person who phoned me, your boss's personnel, assured me that all expenses would be covered and that I don't need to be worried about money.”]

I felt my lips curve into a smile. Although this was a difficult decision for me, I believe it worked out well for Charles.

If I am the one responsible to cover all the expenses, even my hard-earned money for the next five years will not be enough.

It is impossible for me to bring them to the U.S. I couldn't even afford to send them on vacation.

“It's good then, mother. When are you going to leave?” I muttered under my breath.

[“It was tomorrow morning, they said. Someone will come and pick us up from the hospital and drive us to the airport. He also stated that I may speak with the doctor who will be treating your brother's health the following day. I'm grateful that we were given this opportunity for your brother. It's just that I can't help but be concerned about how you're feeling, Catt. Are they tormenting you so you can take care of us?”]

I shook my head quickly in response even though I knew she couldn't see me. “Don't worry about me here, mother. I'm fine here in my boss’s place. Take care of yourself and always call me if you have a chance.”

[“That’s for sure. Alright. I'll put the phone down now and get to work on the documents your brother and I will need for tomorrow. I'll send you a message before we leave and after we arrive safely. Always look after yourself, Cattleya. And if you're having a hard time, just tell me. Hmm? Charles and I miss you…”]

I fought to fight back the tears that had gathered beneath my eyes, but they kept going to fall.

“Me too, mom.” My voice trembled so I immediately hung up the phone because I didn't want her to hear it.

After I hung off the phone, I saw that I received a text message from Loren.

“Cattleya!”

I heard a voice call to me from a distance before I could even open Loren’s message to me.

My gaze was pulled to Finn, who had Jaxson's arm over his neck and leaning his body toward him. Finn looks like he is having difficulty walking because Jaxson’s feet are wobbling and gliding across the floor, unable to walk straight.

“What happened?” I gasped as I approached them.

“He's drunk again, of course,” Finn grumbled while struggling to carry Jaxson with his shoulder. “Ah, man! I have been doing it for a week now! You stink to high heaven!” he whined.

I hurriedly helped him and took one of Jaxson's arms to drape over my neck and shoulders because hearing Finn’s loud series of sighs, shows how exhausted he is from doing this.