“Holy shit!” The stranger howled in horror when his eyes met with the sudden impact. He quickly dropped his kettlebells and scooted closer to Sia, holding her wounded foot in his hands.
“Ouch! Don’t press it much. It hurts.” Sia bellowed, tears drifting the duct of her eyes.
“Relax, I’ve got this okay…” He said as he gently kneaded her wounded foot, blowing some air on it.
“You should’ve been more careful. You know these shits have heavyweight.” He reprimanded.
With tears clogging her vision, Sia routed, “I was… maybe I wasn’t. Just lessen the pains please…”
The stranger nodded, still pressing her foot. He sent someone to get some ice for him and when the person returned with the ice, he clutched on it and perched it on Sia’s wound.
They basked in the silence that ensued until the stranger blurted.
“Jake. What about you?” He held Sia’s gaze as she twitched her lips to respond.
“Sia…” She mouthed, not locking eyes with him.
“Nice to meet ya.” He winked at her but Sia rolled her eyes.
“Okay, I think it’s cool now…” Sia said after some minutes passed. She still feels the piercing pains but lied. Moreover, keeping her leg in Jake’s body makes her feel awkward. So she gently budged until Jake dropped her foot on the floor.
“You sure you can walk properly?” He asked, concerned.
“Yeah, I’m cool.” She assured, faking a smile while intense pains claw her insides.
“Holy shit…” Jake whispered,
darting his hands in his sweatpants pocket in search of something.
Sia took cognizance of that and ask, “you cool?” She raised her brow quizzically.
Jake tilted his head, brows drew together in a frown before he blurted, “I think I’ve lost my cell phone.”
“Lost? Are you sure?” Sia asked, looking around in search of any stray phone.
“Not certain. Can I have your phone so I can call my line with it?” Jake slyly asked, waiting to see if Sia will give him her phone.
Unbeknownst of his intentions, Sia handed him her phone and Jake dialed his number in her phone and they heard his phone ringing on the seat he was on before.
Jake inched closer to it with smile on his face. He unlocked the phone and saved Sia’s number before handing her back her phone.
“Thanks pretty chick…you just saved my ass.” He spluttered, winking at Sia.
Sia just waved her hand at him and attempted to stand up which Jake helped her with my engulfing her waist with his arm.
“Thanks…Jake.” She said, extricating his hand from her waist.
“My pleasure, pretty chick.” He whispered. “I could drop you off I don’t mind.” He offered, shrugging but Sia declined his offer.
Dropping her off means he would find out who she truly is and Sia isn’t ready to take such a risk.
Sia limped into the house when the cab dropped her by the gate. She rarely goes for exercise with her car.
A wince crossed over her features as her wounded foot swell up, inflicting more outstanding pain.
“Michelle!” She called in a hoarse voice as she limped to the living room with the help of some servants that noticed the wound on her leg.
Hearing her name Michelle dashed off from her room still in her nightdress and scruffy hair as her eyes met with Sia’s scrunched-up face.
“What happened to you, Mrs. Monson?” Michelle asked as she eradicated the distance between them and held Sia’s foot.
“Wound… equipment…pain…” Sia trailed off, unable to string coherent words. She handed Michelle her phone and reclined her head on the armrest of the sofa, breathing heavily.
“Just call my orthopedist…I think…he’d know…what to do. Just call him.” She said as sobs escaped her lips. “Evans… I think…holy shit I’ve forgotten his name. Just call first.”
Michelle nodded in understating and without another word unlocked Sia’s phone and began searching for the name to place him on a FaceTime call.
When Michelle typed ‘E’ on the search bar and all the names with the letter appeared on the screen, she scurried to dial the name Evans. However, the name Evans is atop the name ‘Evangelista’ on the phone so Michelle’s wobbly hands mistakenly dialed Evangelista heedless of her mistake.
She worriedly stared back at Sia to mitigate the pains shooting through her system with the ice the servants brought.
When Michelle looked back on the screen to see if the doctor have picked up the call, she figured she had dialed another number.
Thankfully, the person didn’t pick up the call so she quickly hung up to call the right number.
Luckily, the doctor picked up on one ring and Michelle narrated the situation to him. Afterward, the doctor offered to come around and have a look at the wound.
Michelle, however, failed to mention her mistake to Sia before handing her back the phone.
“The doctor will be here soon, Mrs. Monson.” She wheezed but Sia already drifted into slumber to catch her words.
Meanwhile, at that time Lucas and Danika were already on their way to the Wood’s mansion and Lucas’s phone was on silent and tucked inside his pocket.
He doesn’t want to take any call in front of Danika and her mother to avoid drawing their attention so he doused his phone on silent mode.
When they arrived at the mansion, Hera was seated in the courtyard, basking under the sun. However, she could perceive the whiffing of food the servants were preparing floating in the air.
“Mummy Hera!” Danika called when she spotted her mother in the courtyard reading some newspapers.
Hearing her name, Hera craned her head and met Danika’s gaze. A soft smile tore her lips apart as she stood up to embrace her.
“Wel…” Hera wanted to say but shut her lips when she spotted Lucas behind Danika. She crunched up her lips and scoffed.
“Good afternoon, ma’am Hera.” Lucas greeted, bowing his head.
Hera side glance him and retorted, “there’s nothing good about the afternoon, Lucas.”
Hera went back to her seat and settled on it before looking back at Lucas who stood like a statue.
“You promised me over time you’ll behave and accept Danika as your fiancée but the reports I was getting are not a pleasing one at all, Lucas.” She exhaled, flipping the pages of the newspaper.
“It seems I’ll cancel this contract and the modicum help I’d have offered you. So you’ll go out on the street and rot. How about that?” She asked, brows arched.
Lucas had expected to be lashed with words when he arrives here but he didn’t expect it to be so soon.
Well, Hera and her daughter are unpredictable. So Lucas just swallowed thickly and waited for Hera to finish before he responds.
That’s part of Hera’s rule. No one talks when she’s talking. She doesn’t stomach interruption of any kind.
“Your uncle and I knew that contract is what will help your pathetic ass and agreed to sign it but here you are messing the wonderful opportunity to help your family’s reputation. Do you think I can’t find any suitor for Danika? Is that what you assume?” She asked.
However, Hera’s words surprised Danika. She doesn’t want any suitor except Lucas. She can’t accept any other man except him.
“Oh, mummy Hera. Don’t bother finding another suitor for me. Lucas has learned from his mistakes and will definitely change.” Danika sputtered, grinning as she hooked her arm with Lucas’s.
“Yes, ma’am Hera. I’ve learned from my mistakes. It…it won’t repeat itself.” Lucas said breathlessly, swallowing thickly.
Accepting Danika as he was never something he wanted but when you’re left with one option to save what matters to you most you’ll always stick to the only option you have.
The servants appeared in their midst and informed them that the food is ready. Hera ushered them into the dining while chattering with Danika.
“So I heard your company is facing some financial crisis…” Hera began as they ate in the dining.
Lucas gagged when she asked that question. He could feel his heart rate accelerating.
“Y-yes, ma’am Hera.” Was all he could say.
“And how do you plan to resolve that? You want to let the company fold?” She questioned again, smirking.
Danika looked at Lucas to know his response and Lucas responded as she had predicted.
“No…I can’t let it fold.” He mouthed, anger brewing inside him.
Danika inched closer to his ear and whispered, her breath fanning the skin beneath his ear.
“I told you…you’re nothing without me. But don’t worry we’ll help your sorry ass, hun.” She quipped, giggling.
Lucas fist his hands by his sides, grinding his teeth at her words.
“How do you want to get things sorted? I mean who is your backup?” Hera asked.
Lucas hefted his head and connected eyes with Hera before the next words slip from his lips.
“You. You and Danika are my backup.”
Danika smiled cockily at his response and Hera’s creased face smoothed.
She dropped her utensil on the platter, and clasped her hands together before supporting her chin with it.
“Great.” She said, voice hoarse. “But it comes with one condition.”
Lucas perked up his ears to hear what her condition would be.
His legs began wobbling, hands clenching and unclenching into a fist as he waited in earnest to hear Hera’s next words.
“You and Danika will wed before any other thing.” Hera informed.
Both Lucas and Danika dilated their eyes in utter shock but their reaction differs.
Danika’s heart bounced with joy. She’s been expecting this when Hera returns but she didn’t expect it to be so soon.
On the other hand, Lucas’s blood curdle.
‘This is a total change of plans. Marry Danika!?’ He questioned himself, confusion brewing in his mind.
“Wedding!?” The words slipped from his mangled lips and Hera nodded.