"Can you imagine!" Kate placed the room uneasily. "I went over with high spirit thinking well, it's my time to show him what I have and what he's missing all this while. Just took me for granted asked me how he could be a better man for Lian!"
"Ooh my God! Like seriously?" Julia asked shocked.
"I wouldn't be here making this ugly faces." Kate kicked hard on the floor.
"But I told you to just stay here. Probably you could not have found yourself in such a mess." Julia said.
"Staying here doesn't mean I won't get disappointed. Life itself is a disappointment. Like… look at my age. I also need to start thinking of making my own family." Kate said.
"But that doesn't mean you'll win Fidel Nolan… does it? It doesn't guarantee you anything of importance." Julia said.
"You don't understand what a chance this is." Kate sat down heavily.
"Seriously… maybe I should just be myself for today." Julia walked into her room.
Kate wouldn't help feeling mad and disappointed at the same time. She had held high spirits and got a negative reply in turn. Who wouldn't fume?
…
"Seriously am tense…." Eva curled on her bed as Bella leaned against the cupboard.
"You know it will be you sneaked into the castle with ill motives." Bella said. "Pray hard that Mr. Nolan himself isn't here. You'd be dead with fear already. He's very ruthless. He personally ordered the locking away of Lian into the dark room."
"Am dead already. Lian really sold me out." Eva said.
"You can't blame her can you? Besides, maybe she'll not stand to see you suffer any punishment for taking to risk everything with her." Bella said. "I think we should stop worrying much and wait for what will happen."
"Can I get an escape route out of here?" She asked.
"If it were that easy, I doubt if Lian would still be here." Bella replied
Also, in the room.
It was already dark and Lian sat on her bed, her hands intertwined with Fidel. It didn't mean anything between them changed, but they were just looking at each other awkwardly. One with venomous eyes while the other pleading a sorry with her eyes before the mouth said anything.
"So according to you, that changed me… right?" Lian asked trying to dismantle her hands from his.
"Umm… it wasn't my idea really."
"Good God! What if I died? Heaven will still write it isn't your fault. Who am I married to?" Lian asked.
"Are you married?" Fidel asked.
"Am forced into captivity in the name of marriage. That's what am trying hard to break away from and get my freedom back." Lian said with a serious face
"Are you hungry?" Fidel asked. Lian half closed her eyes and looked at him.
"Am hungry, and I need my phone too. Two, you have to know you can't keep me locked in here all day. Am not a prisoner." She said standing up.
Slowly, Lian followed Fidel who led the way. When they passed by Eden, Lian turned to look at him with a plain face, no emotion, no hatred. Just her calm face.
Before they could settle in the dining hall, there was commotion outside. This night? Lian thought as she cast questioning glances at Fidel.
"I'll be joining you." Fidel said as he left.
Lian followed suit, in a slower pace.
"So I can't come in and go out the way I want right? I will be calling Mrs. Katherine Nolan. All of you will have to explain why you restricted me from entering this mansion." Kate shouted as she moved forward. Eden paved way while looking at Fidel.
Fidel stared at Kate with a screwed face. Lian stood in between Bella and Eva who were caught in between the mess while walking towards the servants' quarter.
Kate? How? How did she even start coming here? How did she get into contact with Katherine Nolan? When did she become a living member in this castle? When Kate walked in, Lian followed suit and the two stared at each other.
Hatred. That is what transpired in that one minute stare.
"Kate?" Lian spoke first. Kate woke up from her shock.
"Lian… am happy you're up." She said faking a smile.
"And… at this hour of the night… is it really the best time to visit your sister's matrimonial home? Besides, causing a commotion here isn't advisable. Is there something I don't know?" Lian asked.
This even caught Fidel unaware. Like serious? Lian was talking as if this was really her matrimonial home. Bella and Eva looked at each other.
"Your mother in law invited me over." Kate said.
"My mother in law? Someone I've never personally met. Besides, she isn't here. You have no right to walk into my husband's house like that." Lian said. After all they were never close, so why would Kate wake up one morning and decide to visit her at this hour of the night?
"Lian… why are you worried? Didn't you turn your so called husband down?" Kate raised her voice.
"I did turn him down, but that doesn't mean he isn't my husband. Am still here. Does that mean anything to you?" Lian asked.
Good Heaven! Is she defending me? Does she want to own me? This is crazy… Fidel smiled inwardly. He really would want to move forward and hug Lian but who knew if the next moment she would blow up?
Lian would sound rude, cruel… but she wouldn't send Kate away. Not when she had done nothing bad at her this time. Though they never grew up as friends, she still knew at least under the rough condition, she grew up in a family.
Kate was allowed in and Lian and Fidel moved into the dining hall to have their supper.
"Did you just mean to tell me indirectly that you loved me?" Fidel asked as they sat down.
"Who said I loved you?" Lian asked frowning.
"But you just defended me in front of your sister" Fidel said.
"I can give you out to any girl, but to my sister… it will not make sense." Lian said. "That doesn't mean I can fight for a man I don't love." Lian said.
For the first time in his life, Fidel thought this was the most hurting truth he had ever heard, and the most hurting sentence he had ever heard. She said bright in his face that she didn't love him and did that just because it was her sister?
This girl is really rude. Fidel thought as he swallowed hard while staring at Lian who ate like she said nothing bad all this while. This appetite was already gone.
"That isn't funny." He finally said.
"Funny? Of course it can't be funny because I wasn't joking." Lian said.
Long way to go. Fidel thought roughly. This wasn't funny indeed.
Lian wasn't observing his facial expression but mainly because she didn't care about it.
"And it's not like I forgot that human being who sneaked into this castle!" Fidel found a better place to vent his anger.
The glass in Lian's hands dropped.