004

Kaylie was nervous. A part of her told her she had made a wrong decision that could destroy her, while the flustered part that signed the agreement kept pushing her. However, it was too late to have second thoughts–she was already in the car the Garcias had sent to pick her up.

She had been in the car for over an hour, on her way to a blind date with an heir of a conglomerate family who had once been the talk of the city but disappeared without any explanation from his family.

As the car slowed, Kaylie knew they were getting closer to the venue. Her heart started pounding fast, and she fidgeted as the timid part of her took over.

She clutched the left part of her chest and half-closed her eyes as she drew out a short, yet deep, breath.

“Stay calm, Kaylie,” she whispered. “Remember, you have got to save Jaxon. Okay?”

The car finally turned into the grand entrance, and Kaylie’s anxiety spiked. The driveway, lined with tall trees and immaculately manicured hedges, led to the luxurious restaurant.

The car stopped before the entrance, and a lively chauffeur opened Kaylie’s door.

“Welcome, Miss Kaylie,” he said, offering to assist her out of the car.

Kaylie’s eyes widened as she stepped out onto the driveway. A red carpet stretched before her, leading to the restaurant’s entrance, where two smartly dressed staff members stood at attention, flanking the doorway.

“Good evening, Miss Kaylie,” one said, bowing slightly. “We’ve been expecting you. Please, come in.”

Kaylie’s nerves dissipated as she was ushered into the mansion. The interior was just as impressive as the exterior, with soaring ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and lavish furnishings.

She was led to a beautifully appointed lounge, where a champagne flute and a delicate canape awaited her. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the elegant décor and the stunning view of the gardens beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Have your seat, ma’am,” the waitress said as she drew the chair backward and let Kaylie get in before adjusting it.

Kaylie slightly bent her neck and sat.

“Thanks.”

“A water, champagne, and appetizer,” the waitress mentioned, pointing to them one after the other. “The chairwoman mandated us to give you whatever you want and make sure you’re comfortable.”

She brightened her smile, glancing at Kaylie in the eyes.

“So, what would you eat, ma’am?”

 “Nothing. I’ll notify you if I need anything.” Kaylie smiled, shivering her head.

The maid brightened her smile. “Okay, ma’am,” she nodded. “But please, ma’am, you must eat before you leave, or all of us on this special duty will be punished.”

Kaylie grinned and shook her head, comprehending.

“Let me serve you water. For refreshment.” The maid pushed, and since Kaylie said nothing, she took that as a go-ahead.

She stepped forward and filled a cup with water.

“Thanks,” Kaylie said, smiling.

The maid bowed her head, still maintaining her smile as she turned to walk away, but Kaylie’s question stopped her.

“Where is Gage?” Kaylie asked. “Why isn’t he here yet?”

The maid blinked her eyes twice, confused. The question caught her off guard, so she was silent for a second.

“Umm…” she made a sound. “The young master will be here soon, ma’am.”

Kaylie had another question in her mind but didn’t know if the maid would want to give a response, so she kept it to herself.

“Okay.” She said, and the maid bowed before walking away.

*

“What’s taking him so long?” Kaylie thought to herself. It had been nearly two hours since she had arrived, and she was still waiting for Gage.

“Gosh!” She screamed in her mind, feeling irritated about Gage already.

It was getting dark already, and she had spent the last hour or more shifting her gaze between her wristwatch and the entrance, hoping he would finally show up.

A thought popped into her mind, causing her brow to furrow slowly, until confusion showed all over her face.

“Did he even want to be here?”

“Doesn’t he want this marriage?”

“Will he ever show up?”

“Wait…” she muttered, her eyes slowly closing with her bottom slowly crawling to the edge of her chair.

“What…what…” she stammered in disbelief at the current thought that zoomed into her mind.

Her eyes enlarged as she shrieked internally. “What if it’s not the marriage he doesn’t want? What if he doesn’t want me?!”

The last thought scared her, and her lips quivered as she panicked- she might not be able to save her grandfather.

“Calm down, Kaylie,” she told herself, taking a slow, deep breath.

She exhaled in the same manner, calming herself since she couldn’t leave. She had to wait until she wouldn’t be blamed for leaving.

She picked up the water and sipped it.

“No matter what he thinks, I must wait to hear his thoughts.”

“Welcome, sir.”

She heard a guard’s greeting from behind, and guessing who had just arrived, her heart stopped beating for a second, and her eyes enlarged.

She was eager to see Gage and couldn’t wait to turn around to see him, but her neck froze.

She half closed her eyes and gulped her saliva.

“Come on, Kaylie…” she tried summoning her courage.

She opened her eyes, and without waiting for another second, she smiled welcoming and glanced backward. However, as her eyes landed on the figure sitting in a wheelchair, her smile vanished.

“Huh!” She exclaimed, furrowing her face. “Is this Gage?”

“Who is this?” she wondered, raising her gaze to confirm. When she saw it was truly him, her eyes widened. “What?”

‘What happened to him?’ She wondered, watching a guy pushing Gage in her direction.

The Great Garcia Gage, nicknamed GGG, whom the public knew as a total catch and the ultimate ladies’ man, whose hands were always in his pocket as he took his miraculous short stride with a stunning smile on his face was the complete opposite of who was before her.

He was sitting in a wheelchair, with messy black hair and a frown. The only remnants of his past attributes were his round face, piercing blue eyes, and straight nose, which weren’t even as attractive as they used to be.

“This can’t be…”

She had confirmed it was him, but was still in disbelief and couldn’t take her eyes off him until they stopped right before her.

Richard, Gage’s assistant, pushed him to the other side of the table and adjusted the wheelchair until it properly faced Kaylie, whose mouth and eyes were still open.

Richard stepped backward, bowed, and took a few more steps before turning around and walking away.

Kaylie had questions to ask, but she tightened her lips and kept staring at him since she couldn’t say them.

After observing Kaylie for a minute, expecting she would start a conversation, Gage decided to break the silence.

“Are you done watching?”

Kaylie’s eyes slammed shut. “Huh!” She toned and quickly took her eyes off him.

“Never seen someone in a wheelchair before?” He asked, his tone icy, thinking Kaylie would be scared to talk.

“What… what… do you mean?” Her voice shook.

“What do I mean?” He said in a questioning tone and scoffed.

“What do you mean by what do I mean?!” He raised his voice.

“Huh…” Kaylie moved from her seat a little, confused about what might be wrong.

She said nothing to trigger him, so why was he overreacting?

“You escorted me from the entrance until I got here with your eyes. Why? Is it because this isn’t what you expected?” He challenged, his voice getting high after every word. “I’m what you ordered versus what you got, right?”

Kaylie squirmed, slightly staring downward, confused. ‘Did I say anything wrong?’

She shook her head, answering herself. ‘No.’

“You received what you didn’t expect, right?”

Another question came, and knowing she said nothing wrong and suspected Gage was trying to instill fear in her, she looked into his eyes and nodded. “Yes…”

“Hm!” Gage made a surprised tone as he moved his head backward a little.

Kaylie sighed, wanting to refrain from matching up with Gage’s energy. She furrowed her brow, quickly switching her tone.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Her pretense made Gage’s eyebrows rise a little, bewildered. But, realizing it was a trick, his eyes slowly reddened. “Woman, don’t play smart or act ignorant. I hate both.”

“Peace out,” Kaylie whispered, but Gage heard her. But before he could say anything, she quickly filled her lips with a smile and bent her neck a little. “Good day, Gage, I’m Kaylie. Lopez Kaylie.”

“Who cares who you are? Spare me the introduction. If I’m interested in you, I would ask.”

Kaylie nodded, still beaming. “Okay,” she said. Her mind was already boiling in anger, but she couldn’t react.

She suspected Gage was against the marriage, but since it was the only way to save her grandfather, she decided to ignore his rudeness and do her best to make things work out.

“You’re late. Is there an excuse for that?” She asked, but Gage raised his eyebrows and gave her a deadly glare.

Kaylie looked slightly downward and scoffed. ‘Seems you don’t know who you’re dealing with…’

She lifted her head and looked at his face.

“There are many things I want to know about you, but those can wait. What do you want to know about me?” She inquired. “If there’s anything you want to know about me, ask.”

She waited a while, expecting he would say something, but he didn’t.

“Okay, I’ll convince myself you know everything about me,” she said, making sure her smile didn’t disappear and was bright. “My first question is–”

“Why are you so desperate?” He cut her off, irritated.

She twisted her lips to a corner.

“Me?” She asked, gently moving her hand to her chest. “Desperate?”

She took her hand off her chest and calmly shook her head.

“No. I’m not desperate.”

“You are.” He challenged.

“Do you know me more than I know myself?” She questioned. “I said I’m not desperate. Why would you insist I am? That’s an accusation. A false accusation.”

“Then what’s this you’re doing? If this isn’t desperation, what is it?” He raised his voice a little, trying to get on her nerves so she would react.

He wanted her to get angry and leave. “You’re desperate, woman.”

Kaylie twisted her lips into a smile and shook her head.

“This isn’t desperation, and if you insist it is, then you’re a maverick,” she said, slowly matching his energy.

“We’re on a date. What should come first is a greeting and an explanation or maybe an apology for your lateness– if you wish. Whether or not you do, it doesn’t decrease my value, nor does it add to it,” she added.

She raised her shoulders.

“I overlooked your rudeness and did the proper thing. How’s that desperation, sir?”

“You overlooked it because you’re desperate, not because you’re patient,” He spat. “Why are you turning a blind eye to the red signs? Shouldn’t you stand and leave already?”

“Oh!” Kaylie joggled her head. “Now, I understand. You’re rude for a purpose?”

He enlarged his eyes, nodding. “Yes!”

She chuckled. “Maybe your effort isn’t enough. You can put more effort into it if you have the energy,” she taunted. “Mr. Man, my eyes are in my head, and I can turn them anyhow, and to wherever I want.”

“You may see your attitude as a red flag, while it looks greenish to me and makes me want to go for you,” she added, adjusting in her seat. “I haven’t seen a reason to walk out angrily.”

She picked up the water and sipped it while he stared at her, surprised at her reaction, yet angrier at her.

She placed the glass on the table and sighed.

“If you’re against this marriage, you shouldn’t have come. But since you are, act properly, sir,” she winked at him. “If you don’t want to take responsibility for being the man here, don’t worry, I’ll add it to mine. Just cooperate, okay?”

He ground his teeth, his eyes completely reddened. “I hate your guts.”

Kaylie beamed as she locked eyes with him, salvaging the moment. “I never said I liked yours either,” she said boldly. “Isn’t that a win-win?”