Katty’s heart pounded violently. What did Ivan mean by he knew what she was up to? Katty could not fathom.
“Ivan, I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to, I just wanted you to be mine, I didn’t mean to…”
“Shh! You need to be silent. You should be ashamed of yourself. No Landers can stoop this low, Katty. What you’ve done is just shameful, I can’t believe it.”
“Ivan…I – I – I can explain everything. Just let me…”
“You are trying to force yourself on me! I have so much on my mind right now and all you can think of is to get this selfish with me? Don’t you care about how it’ll affect me and how grandfather would see me?”
Katty was about to speak but Ivan cut her short again –
“You want him to see me as someone who has no control? Is that what you want?!”
Katty apologized to Ivan. She explained that she did not intend to make their grandfather see him in such a light.
“I’m sorry, Ivan. I didn’t intend to make you feel this way.” As she spoke, she tried to get close to him but Ivan was quick to detect. He took an equal number of steps backward.
“Do not dare come close to me, maintain your distance please!”
Katty stood where Ivan asked her to. Truth be told, she was so relieved that it wasn’t what she thought it was. For a moment there, Katty thought Ivan knew that she was in cohort with Ash. She feared what might happen if he told Easton Landers that she was preventing him from finding his bride. Though Katty was Easton’s favorite, there were some things he’d never tolerate.
Ivan walked out on her after he was done chiding her. Katty looked back and caught some of the workers staring at her –
“What are you all looking at! Don’t you have something to do?!”
All the workers dispersed immediately after Katty shouted at them. She hated it when Ivan embarrassed her in front of commoners, as she referred to anyone below her social echelon.
Katty heard clapping in the distance. It was coming from behind her, from no one other than her sworn enemy since childhood, Daisy.
“That’s what you get when you try to act shamelessly! You think you’re beautiful enough for Ivan to forget his morals?” Daisy mocked her.
There was nothing that brought Daisy more delight than seeing Ivan shooing Katty away.
“Sooner or later, Ivan will be mine. I can assure you of that!” Katty sounded so confident.
“No, that’s never going to happen. You’ll never be with Ivan in this life or the next, even grandfather won’t allow it!”
Katty smiled and then she walked away. In less than three hours, Easton Landers showed up at the Landers’ mansion. He had been away for a while so the welcome was massive. Ivan was there, the most foremost person to welcome him.
“Welcome, Grandfather,” Ivan hugged Easton Landers.
Easton Landers whispered into Ivan’s ears- “is she back with you yet?”
“No, but very soon, I’m going to…”
He moved Ivan aside, not even waiting to hear what he wanted to say. Easton Landers walked over to Katty. He embraced her warmly. It was very easy to tell that she was the one he missed the most.
They say at the well dining table saturated with a lot of mouth- watering delicacies. Ivan tried as much as possible to speak to his grandfather but it seemed like Easton Landers kept avoiding him. Ivan could not take it anymore, he excused himself, saying he had to prepare some documents for the office.
In Munich, Germany, Nelly was having a barbeque night with Amanda when Amon alighted from an Uber. He smiled widely at Nelly as he walked towards them.
Yummy! The appetizing aroma of the smoked barbeque filled the air. There was no way Amon was not going to get some of that. He looked like he could really make good use of that especially when Nelly overheard the grumbling sound of his stomach.
“I’m sorry, Nelly. I haven’t had anything to eat since morning. Can I?”
Nelly smirked. Of course, he could. She was starting to get comfortable with Amon. It wasn’t just Nelly, Amanda inclusive.
Amon always had something to say, something very interesting. Apart from Sandra, Amon was the only person Nelly was used to.
“I’ll go get the drinks inside,” Amanda said.
Nelly and Amon discussed more privately after Amanda went inside.
“You make really good barbeque,” Amon complimented Nelly as he took a bite. “So sumptuous!”
Nelly thanked him with a smile on her face too. Amon was about to adjust his shirt when Nelly spotted a scar on his back.
“What’s that?” Nelly asked.
“Oh, this? It’s just an injury I sustained when I was little.” Amon quickly concealed it.
“How did you get it? It looks like it was terrible.”
“I fell off the bicycle I was riding. I went crashing into a fence with sharp edges.”
No, there was no way Amon could fool Nelly. She told him outrightly that what he had wasn’t a scar from a bicycle injury.
“I’ve seen a lot of bicycle injuries and I’ve seen a lot of injuries from domestic violence. Believe me, Amon, I certainly know the difference.”
Amon opened up to her. “My father used to hit us, me and my mother, when I was so little. Whenever I tried to get between him and mum so he’d stop hitting her, he’d rip my shirt off and burn this particular spot with an iron or sometimes he’d beat me with his belt.”
Nelly consoled him. She knew he was about to give way to tears. “Yet, you still grew up to be a good man.”
A good man? Amon smiled again.
Meanwhile, Ash had just arrived at his house. He saw a dark SUV in front of his house. In fact, it was on the spot where he used to park his vehicle.
“Aria Dean?” Ash said in shock.