Chapter 10: Meeting the Grandparents

She unconsciously tightened her grip on her phone as she answered. "Back off, Fred."

'I humbly suggest that you must take your words,' his using that dangerous to Fera. That was a warning for her. She was doing illegal and dangerous.

"I know what I'm doing."

'Of course! You're not dumb to jump in such a dangerous pool, Fera. Bending a bent law by those powerful dirty players was safe for you!' She took a huge gulp and breathe for her tensed lungs, sarcasm had perfectly fit his words to tug a guilty feeling in her heart.

"I know, just this once."

"Interesting," she annoyingly rolled her eyes hearing it from Fred. "He must have something to do with you, why would you help a man, Fera?"

"Nothing, don't make this a big deal." She hissed in an attempt of shaking the topic off.

"It is a big deal! This wouldn't stop here, after you meddle with Constancio's business he will hunt you down." She took a deep breath and looked up. She knew that it was all true.

"You can fix it, though."

"I am not your knight in shining armor, Fera. I can’t fix every mess you do all the time." He roared and made Fera's mood down to her lowest.

"I'm sorry, but you can take the company, even the properties that were named after me. You can even take seventy-five percent of my parents' money, I just need some to start a new life. After that, I'll have a part-time job to sustain my financial needs," said she.

'Is that your plan?' His voice turned low and calm.

"If things went cool, I'll stay here forever. I love it here, peaceful and calm, away from chaos, noisy city."

'You are willing to leave these products of your parent's hard work?' While her phone was on her ears her other hand flew to cover her mouth. She took a few moments before answering.

"Everything that they own will just remind me of them."

'I don't need anything from you. I step in 'cause you need a break but this is all yours. Don't put your parents' hard work to waste.' She fell into deep thoughts before finally answering.

"I maybe need a few days to think."

'Sure, but you know that giving up is not in our vocabulary.'

"Yeah,"

'And that Nick, be careful. Only foolish fall in a trap.' After saying those words, he hung up.

"I know." She mumbled while looking at her phone. "Why am I doing this in the first place?" She couldn't believe what she was doing. 'Maybe because he'd been the good friend and he cooked for me,' she answered her question.

----

A LOUD KNOCK resounded while she was eating a loaf of bread and dipping it into a hot chocolate.

"Hey," Nick greeted as she opened the door. She noticed his wounds had been treated already.

"Hey too," she answered and let go of her door, she left it open for Nick to come inside. "You need something?" she asked as soon as she took her seat and continued eating.

"Do you have plans for today?" It was Saturday morning and they don't have classes.

"I do have a lot." And she glanced at her laundry basket.

"I see, I was planning to visit my grandparents' farm and I was thinking of tagging you along so you could explore the town." He still tried his luck. And Fera did stop for a second to think. She turned to her overflowing laundry.

"We can drop by the laundry shop." Yet Fera hasn't spoken. She looked turned and weighed things in her head.

"There's always a next time if it can't be now," he offered. He had given up, Fera looked like she was in serious confusion.

"Well, burdens can wait." She finally answered and drank her hot chocolate.

"Cool, alright. You will love it there." He said while smiling ear to ear.

"How's your case, detective." She finally brought up the topic. He walked to her island and got himself a mag then poured hot water into it.

"It went not well, as you can see on my face." And Fera tried to hide her amused smile. Without even permission, he made himself a coffee.

"And you know who is this Constancio, right?"

"Came from a prestigious family, wealthy and powerful." She nodded continuously as he enumerated all of it.

"And you sure you played safe." And he stops from stirring his coffee. After a few seconds, he shrugged off his thoughts and continued stirring.

"I don't know," he answered.

"Do you know why heroes in history books died at an early age?" Nick turned his gaze on her.

"No," good thing he didn't decide to burst her bubble.

"Because they help without playing fair to their enemy. They fight despite a penny possibility of winning." He was looking straight into her eyes and listening to every word she spoke. "Now think twice, do you want to be just a hero or do you want to be the villain's enemy."

"What's the difference though, if you help those unfortunate and fooled by those, let's just say bastard, you'll be their enemy, he concluded. She took a piece of bread and tore it into two.

"Not at all. If you want to be their enemy, you would be more careful, your main goal is to put them down no matter what. You might play how they play and study how they think to corner them but if you only want to be a hero, your main concern is the safety of those people you want to help." Nick stared at her and he rarely blinked.

"Good point, but how old are you again?"

"What kind of question is that?" she asked back and bit her bread.

"How did you get that mindset?" She instead raised her left eyebrow.

"None of your business."

SHE WAS BRAIDING her hair up in front of her mirror after that she was ready to go. She wore white long sleeves and black jeans paired with boots. Got her key and wallet in her pocket. She heard a roar of a motor so swiftly ran down the apartment.

"Again?" she raised her voice while looking at the motorcycle.

"Yeah, again. Or else you rather walk." She was about to say yes. "Alone." But Nick added that word. That made her hissed in annoyance.

"How about your laundry?" She carefully climbed on the motor and hold his shoulder.

"Forget about it," she annoyingly said while settling herself behind Nick. "Wait, wouldn't your grandparents worry about those bruises on your face?"

"They already heard about this. They demand me to visit them." Fera's eyes got widened at once.

"So you will be bringing me so that your grandparents might think twice upon scolding you in front of his classmate."

"Partly," he answered and he got a solid slap on his back from Fera.

"I feel so betrayed," they drove off while Nick was laughing his ass off.

Fera enjoy watching tress all over, they passed some rice fields too. Until they passed some mountains. Then a huge gate came into her view. They slow down a bit but the gate started opening wide enough for them to enter. The guard gave them a nod and Nick responded with a horn.

They stopped in front of a mansion, but her eyes fell on the fruit tree which was full of red circular fruit.

"Let's go," Nick entered the huge wooden main door. She was following him the whole time. He was walking too fast so she tugged his shirt slightly.

He turned to her raising both of his eyebrows, asking her what was the matter.

"Slow down," he grabbed her hand and continued walking upstairs.

"Have you seen Lola?" he asked a housemaid they saw.

"In her library," the maid answered.

"Kingston," they turned their head down. Fera saw a man with white hair and wrinkled skin.

"Lolo," she saw how his face lit up as he said lol. He instantly went down and took the old man's hand and she watched how he bend and his forehead touched the back of his palm.

"Another trouble, huh?" The old man's lips stretched and revealed his complete white teeth still.

"Not much." But the old man laughed so as Nick. "This is Fera, Lo. Fera this is my grandfather, Lolo Nicholas."

Fera figured out that what Nick did was a sign of respect for them so she took the old man's hand and did what Nick did.

"Good afternoon," her soft voice came out lower than it should. It was her first word after the whole ride. She never dare to speak the whole ride 'cause she feel betrayed.

"Good afternoon, hija. Your grandmother would love to meet this fine lady, Nick. But you both are still young, enjoy your youth children." The old man got it wrong, Fera silently concluded but refused to speak. She was expecting Nick to correct the wrong idea about his grandfather.

"Nick Kingston!" A raging voice resounded and they found where did it come from. A woman with white wrinkled skin came down the stair, she had pearls on her neck and a classy dress on.