Chapter 5

“Wear this ring.”

My eyes were drawn to Jaxson's outstretched hand in front of me.

The dazzling diamond on a ring placed on his palm made me fascinated.

This is most likely my first encounter with a genuine diamond. It is true, as some claim, that its brilliance is blinding. This item is flawlessly clean, with no visible scratches. It's like crystal clear water, and the ambience couldn't hide the sparkle it shows even when it's dark.

It's pretty amazing.

“What are you staring at?” Jaxson grabbed my attention as he spoke again.

I simply shifted my gaze back to him without saying anything.

“–What’s with that face? Don’t you want to wear it?” With both eyebrows lifted in a curve, he questioned bluntly.

“It's not that I don't want to wear it. It's just that…” I replied hesitantly before averting my gaze from his.

Wearing anything like that doesn't seem right to me. And besides, what am I going to pay if I happen to lose that expensive ring? Really scary.

“Do I have to kneel in front of you just so you will accept this ring?”

My gaze returned sharply to Jaxson because of what he had said. “R-Really? Will you do that?”

“Of course not!” He chuckled. “Look, Cattleya. You shouldn’t expect anything like tha-”

“Good evening, Mr. Madrigal,” I uttered, purposely raising my voice to get Jaxson's attention that his father is approaching us.

Hopefully, he didn't hear anything we talked about. Because we’re doomed if he does.

“What are you two doing outside?” He greeted us with a question. “Shouldn’t you guys be resting in your room now, Jax?”

As I frantically gulped, I felt a knife dig into my throat. My eyes widened as I pondered what I had just heard.

What exactly does he mean by that? I'm going to share a room with Jaxson?!

It can't happen! It shouldn’t be!

I didn't think things could get even worse between us.

My glance was caught in Jaxson's hand as it slipped the ring back into his pocket.

When I felt fingers moving between mine, I nearly leaped out of my skin.

It feels like something is going mad inside of me right now as my heart throbs rapidly.

This is the first time I've ever had a man touch my hand.

My blood sprang to the surface of my cheeks, making me feel heated. This is so humiliating. I'm just hoping that I’m not blushing in front of his father.

I was terrified when I saw that Jaxson’s ather frowned because of my reactions. I quickly pressed my quivering lips together and gave him a smile before responding to Jaxson’s grip on my hand.

“Cattleya and I were just discussing something important, Dad. We'll be inside in a few minutes,” Jaxson assured calmly as he squeezed my hand tight.

“Ah– Y-Yeah, Mr. Madrigal, that was r-right.” I wanted to writhe in pain from his grip almost crushing my hand, but I had to continue and keep a smile on my lips.

He gave us a little nod. “By something important… Does that include your marriage? What about the ring, though? You haven't proposed to her yet, have you?”

I tilted my head away from their sight and shut my eyes firmly.

Oh, Cattleya... You're going to be so dead! Why didn't I simply accept the ring? I could've worn it before his father caught up with us.

“Uh, about that-”

Jaxson snatched my words, “I haven't yet, Dad.”

My eyes shifted rapidly to him in disbelief.

“Cattleya, Hija?”

I was surprised when he addressed me by my first name, so I turned to face him while holding my breath.

He should not be upset with Jaxson, nor should he dissolve their deal. If that happens, I'm at a loss on what to do with Charles's situation.

“—You can now walk inside and look for Elsie. She'll direct you to Jaxson's room, where you'll be able to wait for him. “My son and I have an important matter to discuss,” He stated gently before casting a pensive glance at Jaxson, who's still clutching my hand tightly.

“A-Alright…” I couldn't even open my mouth because of this nerve-wracking feeling. I moved my hand away from Jaxson as I cautiously faced him. “I'll go inside first,” I murmured as he refused to let go.

Because of what Jaxson was doing, I looked to his father to see how he was reacting. I was baffled when he simply stared at us, as though anticipating what would come next.

“All right, I'll see you inside, okay?” Jaxson mumbled sweetly.

When his face approached me, I quickly retreated backwards.

My reaction resulted in Mr. Madrigal's brow furrow glistened once again. I was worried, so I didn't try to evade Jaxson's face as it crept closer to me for the second time.

When I felt his lips brush across my skin, my heart halted.

I was astonished for a moment because of what he had done to me before my knees eventually loosened. I lost my stance, but thankfully, Jaxson caught me before I fell to the ground.

I felt his lips behind my ears. He left a whisper, “Alright, go now.”

As I felt the breath gushing out of his mouth through my skin, my soul fled my body.

My head bobbed as I took a step forward, leaving them dumbfounded and without even blinking.

What… Just… Happened..?

Did I just get a man that laid his fingers on my hand..?

But it doesn't end there…

I just got my very first kiss from someone that is not my parents!

Everything that has happened to me will literally take me a whole day to digest.

My hand rose slowly to my cheek where Jaxson kissed me.

What's the deal with my face being so hot? It’s nearly scalding to touch. If I could see myself right now, I can say I resemble a ripe tomato because of how red I am.

“Ms. Cattleya?”

A voice that called my name brought me back to reality.

I looked for where it came from and saw an elderly lady dressed in a maid's uniform.

“Uh… Are you Madam Elsie?” I politely asked as she gently approached me.

“You got the right person, Ms. Cattleya.” a smile flashed on her lips. “I am Elsie. The head house-maid here in Madrigal.”

I have no idea how she knows my name, but I guess that Mr. Madrigal told her about me already.

“Can I serve you anything? Are you perhaps feeling hungry? How about a drink first?”

“N-No,” I waved my hand at her. “It’s okay, Madam Elsie. I was looking for you because Mr. Madrigal mentioned that you will show me where Jaxson’s room is.”

“Is that so? Alright, come follow me, Hija. And by the way, don’t call me Madam anymore because I’m not the boss here. You can just call me Aunt Elsie.”

I simply nodded and smiled in response to what she said before following in her footsteps to a wide, golden staircase.

I couldn't help but notice Aunt Elsie's grins as I followed our pathways. It's strange that she always wears that wide-eyed smile.

I'm not sure if the smiles she's flashing at me are genuine, or if they're the same ones I display at the club's customers.

I was suddenly reminded of my job at the nightclub.

What would Manager Sol think if I stopped showing up to his club for no apparent reason? I'm confident he'll look for me. Maybe I'll just pay Loren back for the money he lent me for paying my fees.

“We’re here,”

I rolled my eyes to see where we'd come to a halt and observed a tall, pitch-black door.

“Now that is a really gigantic door.” I mumbled.

Is it really necessary for it to be as large as a church entrance to be attached to the billionaire's room? It's also really gloomy— but wait, I can't see any handle where we can open it.

As Aunt Elsie drew nearer to the humongous door, I kept an eye on her.

I frown, puzzled as to what she is doing in front of it. She motioned to the enormous entrance with her palm as if she was expecting something.

“HOLY MOZZARELLA!” I screamed as I stepped back in surprise when the door swung open as if we were about to board an elevator.

When I heard Aunt Elsie's faint laugh, I gave her a confused look.

“That's exactly how I acted the first time I saw this door,” she said, stifling a giggle. “Things like this are something Jax enjoys, so get used to it, Cattleya. You'll find a lot more within. This door isn't even halfway to revealing what's inside.”

“Ah... Is that so…” I just let out an uneasy laugh in response to Aunt Elsie's enjoyment, and she appeared really thrilled with my reaction. “M-Maybe I just wait for Jaxson here outside…” I stammered absolutely terrified.

Aunt Elsie only shook her head at me before stepping into the terrifying chamber. I had no other choices but to follow her inside.

Because of the terror she instilled in me, I walked cautiously.

What specifically is there to see on the inside?

When we eventually got in, I was perplexed as to why everything was so different from what she had told me outside. “Hm? But it's not so scary inside too, is it? It's even brighter than I imagined it would be. And besides, it appears to be a typical bedroom for the rich,” I added, smiling as I finally gasped for air.

“It's great that you like it. While you wait for Jax, you may have a seat.” She uttered.

I followed her hand with my gaze as it extended and gestured behind me.

My eyes nearly jumped out when a sofa moved closer to where I was standing.

“OH MY GOD!!!” I shrieked vociferously as I hurried behind Aunt Elsie.

“You can take a seat first while you wait for Jax.” she again uttered calmly as if nothing just happened. When literally, a sofa just walks itself to me!

“What is this room? Maybe this house is possessed, is it? ” The tone of my speech rose as I chased my breath due to the shocking circumstances.

Aunt Elsie laughed at me again. “This room is not possessed, Cattleya. There is definitely a reason behind the movement of those things. But I'll let your boyfriend explain all that to you and I'll go out first to get ready for breakfast.”

My lips parted as I nodded at her and remained dumbfounded.

“All right, Cattleya. I will leave you here.” she mattered calmly as she turned away from me and walked to the door. She opened it as she had done earlier.

I'm not sure how I'll feel for the rest of the day. In just one day, I experienced a wide range of emotions.

Despite my fear of the sofa, I pushed myself to sit on it because my feet were beginning to weary. It's already midnight.

I instantly felt the weight of the lids, as well as my yawning, when I eventually sat down. I sat down on the soft spot, hoping to catch some sleep before the sun rose.

It's been a long and exhausting day. Hopefully, things will be better tomorrow. And I'm hoping there won't be any more bizarre situations because I'm not sure how much longer I can keep going until I lose my sanity.