- TTPOV -
"Sir, the papers submitted by the Eeos firm are ready for ratification," Stella, Cassian's secretary informs him as soon as they left his office.
"All right. I'll sign them until I come back." He replied and Stella nodded before she walked away.
Cassian had an appointment with a client earlier, it wasn't a long discussion but when it finally ended, he immediately left the office to grab something to eat. He can just go to the hospital's cafeteria but he followed what his mind and stomach wants.
He used the private elevator to take him to the ground floor of the hospital. When he heard the "ding" sound, the doors part ways and he walks out of it.
He reached the lobby of the hospital and the guard greeted him first before opening the entrance door. Cassian gave the guard a warm smile that made the young guard blushed.
He will have his snack in the café right in front of the Golden Heart Hospital. It was built when he was sixteen years old and it was owned by a couple who is currently living in Paris. No wonder why they serve quality and luscious pastries and coffees.
Cassian steps down on the marble front porch steps and rakes a hand on his hair. He was about to take a step again when someone grabbed him by the arms.
"Cassian!" It is a woman who looks like in her fifties. His eyes widened and he instinctively took a step back.
"Cassian, thank goodness I finally found you" the woman cried like he finally saw the missing piece of her.
He tried to free himself to her hands that are holding him tightly.
"I don't know you. Please stay away." Cassian begs to the woman. He maintains his voice as gentle and calm as he could be. He doesn't want to make a scene but he realized it's too late now because there are people who are looking at them.
He hates those kind of stares but he dislikes more what's happening to him right now. This was never new to him, it happened a lot since he was young.
Even the world of media knows that he is adopted by a rich businessman. He grew up experiencing this schemes from people who claims him as 'theirs' to use him for their own advantages. Especially money.
"Let's go home my son your dad is waiting for you. Let's go home! Let's go home!" The woman's voice started to rise desperately. It caught the attention of the four hospital's guards. They came to rush towards them to shield him from the woman.
Cassian doesn't want to hurt her, he tries to control himself against her tight grips but the time he heard the word "father" it made him burst out of rage.
He pushed the woman.
The two guards immediately caught her and held her by the arms.
"Cassian my son!" she keeps on wailing while they take her away.
The guard said something too, but he didn't pay attention to it anymore. He was still fuming mad because of the scene and that word he heard from the stranger. It just doubled what he is feeling right now. And he knows he can't control himself when he is in a state of an intense emotion.
He is trying to calm himself down and forget what just happened. But he can't. Hearing that word just makes it worst. He loathes it so much to the point that it will awfully change his mood.
The woman is nowhere to be seen anymore. He can finally leave. Cassian rakes a handful of his hair and grips it. He produces shaky breaths and squeezes his eyes shut.
When he opened his eyes once again, he saw a very familiar woman who's standing a couple of meters away from him.
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- Erizza's POV -
CASSIAN didn't look at me for too long. He quickly turned around and went inside the building.
I saw the whole scene. From the way the woman grabbed him to the part when the guards took her away.
I saw how he forces to free himself and when he cannot take it back any longer he pushed the woman.
I started to worry about him. Is he OK? Of course he isn't. It's obvious that he is mad about it. Who wouldn't be? The woman showed a seriously improper behavior.
When our eyes met I saw his expression changed, there's something he wants to tell. I don't know what he was trying to implore that's why I'm here now striding towards the building to go after him.
The hospital's main lobby is wide but I didn't fail to reach another lobby where I saw him entering.
I suspect that it's a private lobby because I cannot see either nurses or doctors passing by on the hallway.
Cassian is not in my sight anymore so I just continued walking until I reached the private lobby's area.
I slowly peered in first and searches him using my eyes. The private lobby has a dimension of a living room. It doesn't have a door entrance and the whole area is painted with pastel colors.
My eyes stopped when I saw a man sitting on the sofa. I slowly walked towards him and he immediately felt my presence.
"Erizza" his voice trailed off and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw me.
"Why did you follow me? You shouldn't be here--"
"It's ok" I cut him off.
He turned silent for a moment and he bowed his head. I sit beside him and looked at his hands that are tightly intertwined.
"You saw it" he began.
"Yeah" I nodded.
Cassian's head remained down. I can only see the side of his face but I can tell that he's uneasy and upset. I noticed that he begins playing the tip of his fingers.
"It happened a lot to me since I was young. People I don't know would either approach me aggressively or set me up claiming that I'm their lost son. As a kid, I was so scared. I'm not naive not to know they are my real parents because I grew up not knowing about their names or even where they came from. All I knew is they were dead due to accident and I was later adopted." He explained.
"And when you saw me pushed that woman? She said something I don't want to hear. It hurt me because I remember what others had said to me," he paused for a while to take a deep breath. "They said that I lack fatherly love." He continued.
I heard every word the woman bawled and wailed even if I was a couple of meters away from the scene. He may not say it but I believe that it's the word "father".
"I was lucky because I was adopted by a man who stood up as my father. But sometimes I can't help but to think of my real father too." Even though Cassian is not looking at me, his bitter smile didn't escape my sight.
"I saw you but I chose to walk away because I'm trying to control myself down. I don't want to hurt you or even say something you won't want to hear from me." Cassian said in a firm and low voice.
His hands trembles a little but it eventually stopped.
"I'm sorry" was all I can say after listening to him silently.
"It's alright." He responds.
"I understand that you chose to walk away. If I were in your situation I think I would do the same." I remarked.
"But then, I followed you here," I added with a shy smile.
"You made me feel alright, Erizza. At least you listened to me even just for a while," he commented.
"Are you sure you're alright?" I asked with a reassuring look.
"Yeah, more than alright now that you mentioned it," he nodded and turned his head to look at me.
He showed me a faint reassuring smile but I know his eyes doesn't conveys the same. I still want to ask him, but I didn't get the chance to because he asked me something before I could even begin.
"So, what made you go here?" he asked changing the topic.
I quickly sit up straight before I answer. "I just want to give these to you." I zipped my handbag open and handed him his pictures that I developed before I go here.
I was surprised the time he said that he is the CEO of this hospital. He even told me how he became his father's successor last night while were having our dinner, even though he is not the kind of man who casually talks about it because it sounded like he's bragging, I insisted him to tell me and he gave in. I quickly recognized that it was the hospital where my parents always brought me when I was young. It didn't quite changed a lot except the stunning landscaping outside.
"You came here just for this?" he sounds a bit surprised. He looks at the pictures one by one while I observe him quietly.
"Yeah, I come to drop by then I will be traveling," I answered and he quickly looked at me.
"To where?"
"In Batangas," I beamed at him.
"Oh," he nodded. "It seems that you'll spend your vacation there." He smiled.
"Exactly, it's my one month vacation and I want to take advantage of it. Alone." I said.
I stand up and walked towards the glass door where I can see the hospital's mini garden. The sun shines through the glass and I can feel it's warm rays of light against my skin.
I looked at Cassian who's just observing me. Suddenly, I think of something that maybe the two of us would enjoy.
I have realized that we both really love the feeling of exploring the outside world. And remember what he said to me yesterday? He wanted to know me and I let him.
Surely, this could be a possibility for us to know each other, more.
"Do you want to come with me to Batangas?" I asked with no hesitation.
Cassian's eyebrows raised and the corner of his lip slightly twitched, showing his one deep dimple.
"If you don't mind?"
"Oh come on, I don't mind." I said rolling my eyes.
He finally smiles brightly and takes a look of his wrist watch.
"Fine then, we still have more hours to go" he said.
A huge smile formed on my lips but then I instantly froze when I realized that he is a CEO. I'm sure he has loads of works to do.
"But wait aren't you busy?" I asked with a questioning look.
Cassian stands up and walks towards me. I can smell again his manly scent.
"The hospital can still function without me." He replied cooly.
"Plus, I deserve a month of getaway," he added and we both headed towards the door.