Chapter 11 - Little Puppy

The dawn was crisp and clear. Cecilia woke up with a banging headache. She reluctantly stretched her aching arms and feet, glancing at the other side of the bed but it was empty. Her eyes fell on the couch and saw a pillow and a bedsheet. She sighed knowing fully well Miguel slept on the couch.

"Was he really not going to do anything with me after our one-night stand?" She massaged her chubby stomach, frowning at the sight of it. "Should I really lose weight?" Cecilia couldn't break her gaze from her stomach, she was jolted to reality when the door opened and she immediately pretended to be asleep.

She heard the door close but didn't hear any footsteps. She waited for some seconds until her curiosity reached its peak as she removed the bedsheet from her body, turning around to see who entered the room only for her to lock gaze with Miguel who was standing in front of her with an expressionless face.

Cecilia couldn't help but chuckle mischievously in embarrassment.

"I know you weren't asleep. Freshen up, your breakfast will be here in some minutes." He said before leaving but Cecilia's question halted his movements.

"Where are you going to?" She asked her voice almost in a whisper.

"To work." He said without turning to face her as he exited the room.

Cecilia mimicked Miguel's cold response to her before she got up from the bed and headed straight to the washroom as she got prepared for the day. It was the second day of staying in the Gonzalez house and she was all swelling up.

When she came out of the washroom, she met her breakfast on the table with the room neatly arranged to her surprise. "Are there ghost workers in this house too?" She asked in curiosity, even the pillow and the bedsheet that was on the couch weren't there anymore.

Exhaling, Cecilia sat across the table and dug into her breakfast while checking her unread messages on her phone. Cecilia planned on staying in her room throughout the whole day but her mind had a rewind on her encounter with Marco making her want to see the latter again.

When she was done eating, she took a quick rest and hurried out of the room. She walked gently on the titled hallway when she came across Marco, due to the unexpected encounter, she hastily turned around.

"Eishh, what am I doing?" She muttered under her breath, biting the lower part of her lips.

"Cecilia?" She heard him call her name.

Taking a deep breath, she turned around to face him with a grinning sheepishly.

"Good morning, Cecilia. I didn't see you during breakfast." Marco said, smiling at her.

"I was too tired as I slept longer."

"Hope you had some?"

She nodded in response.

"That's a good girl." Marco smiled, as he gently pinched her chubby cheeks. "You look adorable, Cecilia and healthy."

"I look adorable?" Cecilia repeated making Marco nod his head in agreement.

Did he just compliment her body that Miguel body-shamed?

"But... but... Miguel said I'm fat." She shuttered, sniffing like a kid.

A low laugh escaped Marco's lips as he patted her head. "Miguel is into slim girls that's how Anna is but you, you are more adorable."

Cecilia was touched by the compliments Marco gave. A blush crept on her cheeks as she let out a small cough to distract herself from thinking too much.

"You already know I'm Miguel's stand-in wife?"

"Oh! Are you?" Marco raised his brow, giving her a questioning look as he pretended not to know anything about her relationship with his older brother.

Cecilia's face washed in disappointment as she immediately covered her mouth with her hands. "What the heck am I saying?" She mustered. "Forget about it." She waved her hands chuckling mischievously as she walked passed him.

Marco chuckles at her attitude. He was enjoying every bit of it and didn't want to stop. He hurriedly walked to meet her as he stood tall in front of her. "Are you his stand-in wife?"

"I'm not. I and Miguel are genuine couples." She tried to cover up as beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Marcos kissed his teeth. "I know about Miguel having an affair with Anna since she's his girlfriend but I never knew you both are into a fake relationship to deceive..." He gasped in realization. "To deceive, father?"

Cecilia face palmed herself and cursed inwardly for being a blabbermouth. She remembered vividly, Miguel's warnings not to mingle with his family members and she was spilling the beans to Marco.

"It's nothing." She tried to cover up but Marco gave her a questioning look making her sigh in defeat. "Please don't tell Sir. Gonzalez." She clasped her hand, blinking her doe emerald eyes.

Marco couldn't tear his gaze from the little puppy in front of him. She looked so adorable and he felt like touching her smooth, chubby face. He knew exactly what to do in this case.

"Alright, I won't tell my father but only on one condition," Marco said with a smirk on his face.

"Anything at all, I can clean your room, kiss your feet...anything," Cecilia said in desperation.

Marco laughed at her words. "Little puppy, there are servants to do that and you are obviously not one."

"Little puppy?" Cecilia furrowed her brows. Did he just address her as a little puppy?

Marco couldn't help but laugh. "You look so cute and your eyes shine bright like that of a little pup." He winked.

He was so good with words but his words didn't settle with Cecilia as all she wanted was to seal her secret with him. "So about your condition, what's it?"

"Hmm?" Marco rubbed his jaw. "What should it be?" He leaned closer to her as she stepped backward. There were tons of ideas running through Marco's mind, the little devil in his mind and the little angel kept wrestling on the condition he was going to give Cecilia to keep a secret he was already aware of.

Little Devil: "You want her right, just tell her you want to hook up with her since she has nothing to do with Miguel."

Little Angel: "Shut the hell up, don't listen to him. Just give her a crazy condition. You don't want to chase her away from you completely."

Marco's mind was in a mess, but who was she going to listen to in this aspect? Cecilia, however, waited patiently for his response and he didn't want to delay her any further.