"Pan, is Ciarra really your wife now?" His sister, Liana King asks as she pushes her blonde hair back. Liana has been worried lately. Ever since the ruined wedding, Ciarra Lake insisted and demanded to move into Panda King's mansion and live as his wife.
Panda shrugs at his sister, "In her dreams."
"You don't care for her, not even a little?" Liana asks curiously as she drinks the milk.
"No. I only love..." Panda hesitates. Will Liana get upset if Panda tells her the truth about Tin being a woman? He knows his sister has a crush on "him".
"Who?" Liana asks with wide eyes. "Come on Pan, tell me." She begs.
"Someone." Panda says mysteriously. He doesn't want to upset his younger sister. She will find out soon anyway.
"What are you guys talking about? Shall we eat together?" Ciarra's annoyingly cheery voice says as she walks into the kitchen.
"I've eaten." Both Panda and Liana answer in unison before glancing at each other with raised eyebrows. Grinning, Liana winks at her brother before walking out of the kitchen.
"I'll cook today." Ciarra announces, wrapping her claws around Panda's arm. Panda stands sweating with fear and anxiety next to her. This woman is overbearing.
"Are you sure you can?" Panda asks, glancing at her long acrylic nails.
"Of course I can." She says arrogantly.
***
To say the least about Ciarra Lake's cooking skills, after eating her food that day, the entire King mansion were on bed rest suffering with diarrhoea. According to the doctor who came to check up on them, they had all had food poisoning. Panda was fortunate to have escaped the same fate with his lie.
However, to put the plan into motion, he needs to act like he is warming up to her. Although he feels anxious and disgusted inside, he must do it so Ciarra Lake can be brought to justice for her wrongdoings.
"You forgive me don't you Panda?" She whines as she wraps her arm around his. "You know I didn't mean to make them sick don't you?"
Exasperated, Panda pulls his arms away from her and plasters a fake smile, "Sure, it's not your fault."
The doorbell rings and Panda finds the perfect excuse to leave her. Hurriedly opening the door, his eyes widen in panic. His mother has finally come over.
"Panda! If Ciarra hadn't told me that you returned home, I wouldn't have known. How long were you going to keep quiet for?!" She thunders angrily.
Panda sighs and scratches his head. Of course Ciarra would tattle to his mother. "Mum, calm down. Aren't you happy I came back?"
She huffs and walks past him, "Where do you plan to put my lost face?"
Rolling his eyes, he mutters, "Exactly where you left it."
"What was that?" Mrs King asks, glancing back at him sternly.
"Nothing Mum." Panda smiles sweetly. "Do you want to eat anything?"
"I don't. I came to see you and my daughter in law." She says, smiling when she sees Ciarra in the sitting room.
"Welcome Mum." Ciarra smiles and helps Mrs King to the sofa. "Shall I tell the servant to bring you anything to drink?"
Mrs King shakes her head and holds Ciarra's hand, "Staying here and talking to me is enough."
Smiling sweetly, Ciarra glances at Panda who is standing looking bored in the doorway. "Come and join us Panda."
"No, no darling, you should call your husband by a sweeter name." Mrs King says to Ciarra.
"Really?" The young woman grins as she stares at Panda, "Join us honey."
Panda suppresses a gag but he remembers the important mission he has to do and forces a smile before walking to his mother. "Mum, we're not married yet."
Mrs King waves her hand, "It's fine. We can do the ceremony again another time." She squeezes Ciarra's hands, "I am really happy to have you as my daughter in law."
"It's okay Mum." Ciarra says, "As long as we love each other."
Panda coughs, "Yes."
"Why don't you take her shopping Panda?" His mother suggests, grabbing his arm and pulling him down to sit next to Ciarra.
"Will you take me honey?" She asks, widening her Bambi eyes at him.
He grimaces as he watches her facade. "Sure."
***
After his mother leaves, Panda King sighs in relief and walks up to his room. If he has to stay around that fake woman any longer, he would suffocate.
Sitting at his desk, he opens his laptop and video calls his beloved. It hasn't been long since they parted but he is already missing her and her teasing.
As he waits for her to answer, he doodles on the scrap piece of paper next to him. Why is she not picking up?
"Hi Pan?"
At the sound of her voice, he smiles excitedly and turns to the screen. Her soft, twinkling brown eyes and her dark hair, which is longer than when he had first met her, frames her beautiful face.
"Tina! How are you?" Panda asks.
Tina smiles, "I'm fine. Are you missing me yet?"
"I am. A lot." He admits longingly.
"What were you drawing?" She asks curiously, leaning closer to the screen.
Panda's face heats up as he quickly denies, "Nothing."
"Oh my," Tina gasps and covers her mouth, "Could it be... you were drawing perverted things?"
"Of course not!" Panda says, his face scarlet.
"Then show me." Tina grins.
Slowly, Panda picks up the paper and holds it up to the camera.
A moment of silence passes as Tina scrunches up her eyebrows and wonders what it is. "A monkey?"
"No." Panda says in embarrassment.
"I don't know. What is it?"
"Cub."
Tina raises her eyebrows in question.
Sighing, Panda points at the drawing and explains, "It's a drawing of our baby."
The laughter which follows is music to his ears. A sound so familiar to Panda that he realises he misses the times when they lived together more than he thought.
"Please never show this to our child. He would be scarred." Tina chuckles.
Panda pouts, "You're not giving me any face."
"I won't lie to you Pan." She winks, "Now, update me on our plan."