Chapter 11: False Alarm

"Look at your face! So it's true that you broke into Constancio's private rest house!" Fera immediately stepped back and create a distance from Nick. She doesn't want to be noticed by the lady as soon as possible.

"I'm sorry, Lola." The only thing that Nick afford to utter.

"How many times do I have to remind you that you are sixteen!" Nick was indeed troublesome.

"Seventeen, Lola," he still has the nerve to answer despite his grandmother's annoyance.

"Minor! A Constancio can easily kill you. Nick this is serious trouble, this is not fun anymore." Fera awkwardly looked around, 'I think going with Nick is a bad decision, I should have stayed at home.' she mentally hissed.

"La, I have my classmate with me." And the lady turned to her. She put herself together and awkwardly stretched her lips into a tight smile.

"Clever, very clever! You brought a classmate so I would prioritize her over your trouble. Not this time, no motor from now on." The old lady was beyond angry when she said that.

"Hello, dear. I've never seen you before, have you eaten?" She unbelievably took a few blinks before nodding her head.

"Yes, ma'am. I already did, thank you." She politely declined.

"Well, I have baked some cookies, you might want to try it." She walked closer to Fera and her hand softly pushed Fera to walk with her.

She turned to Nick a bit panicky.

"You're creeping her out, Lola."

"No, I'm not, help your lolo load the truck." As they reached the kitchen, the old lady gave her a chair.

"May I know your name, dear?" She asked while opening her oven.

"I'm Fera, ma'am." Fera was too shy and it has visibly appeared in her voice.

"No need to call me ma'am, call me Lola Clarita and my husband Lolo Nicholas. You do eat cookies, I hope." She prepared the cookies on the plate.

"Of course, ma'am."

"Yes, dear? I can't hear you." Her body tensed as the lady asked again. She knew she heard it.

"I do eat cookies, Lola Clarita." She answered again to correct her previous answer.

"That's great, I am sorry for what happened earlier, you shouldn't have witnessed that. My grandson was boiling my blood, he doesn't know how to behave. I understand children normally do something they like or are interested in. But his interests were quite dangerous and there is no way I can sit still knowing my grandson getting himself in so much trouble, I hope you understand." She was worried about her grandson, for a seventeen old boy, investigating was not just for him because he was too young for it.

"I understand, I did warn him too." She lady gave her a cookie and she gladly accepted it.

"And Nick was stubborn so it went to waste." Fera nodded in response, part of her nod was that she enjoyed the cookie.

"This is great," she commented.

"I'm glad you like it. You're the first-ever classmate he brought here so I prepared this, especially for you." That made Fera's heart melt in joy. She felt special that someone made cookies for her.

"Thank you, I love it. I hope I know how to make cookies too." She thankfully said.

"I can give you my recipe," she offered but Fera couldn't accept it.

"She can't cook." They turned their head to someone approaching. Fera’s face turned sour and annoyed.

"Unfortunately, I don't have the talent of cooking, Lola Clarita." She admitted that instead of Nick explaining it to her, she was sure that Nick wouldn't do it kindly.

"She even burned a sausage." He sat next to Fera and Fera simply pinch his flank.

"Aww," he whined and laughed at Fera’s embarrassment.

"You're not in a relationship, I hope," she interjected and Fera instantly shook her head.

"Not possible," she even said.

"Good to hear that." And a servant called her attention so they were left alone in the kitchen.

"You're such a troublesome, Nick. You're grandmother almost had a heart attack because of you."

"And when did you develop your manner?" She slapped his shoulder and Nick playfully avoid it.

"I was expecting you to burn my grandparents as what you did to me."

"Whatever,"

"Maybe around three I can tour you around, it's still burning hot outside for now. Do you ride a bicycle?" She only gave him unimpressed look and rolled her eyes.

"Why would you think I do when I don't even trust your motor?"

"I will teach you how to ride a bike." He declared and Fera only bit her cookie. She never experienced that kind of activity, she preferred staying at home, painting, and writing.

"Make sure I won't scrap my knees." She required, which means yes to learn how to ride a bike.

"Why do you live alone, if you don't mind?" He suddenly asked which made Fera almost choke her food. She didn't see it coming.

"Well-"

"Nick, someone wants to see you." Their head turned to someone who had just come in. It was Lolo Nicholas, he sounded dead serious and hadn't cut his stare to Nick.

"Who is it?" asked he. Before anyone in the room could talk a sound of a faint siren tickles their ears, which made Fera's heart start racing.

"They are on their way." The old man turned his back and slowly walked to the front door. Nick stood and started his weak step towards the door. However, Fera took a few minutes to decide if she'd watch him arrested or listened to the whole scenario. She couldn't bring herself to sit still while everyone was in a panic. Especially his grandmother.

While walking to the front door she heard the man's voice, a very authoritative and monotone voice. But she couldn't hear it right, the loud thud of her heart was deafening. She saw a broad back and reddish ears, as she walk closer men in blue uniforms came into her view.

"My son! Don't touch him!" Lola Clarita tried to stop those men from putting handcuffs on his hands. The old man calmly stands in the doorway while watching his grandson getting arrested.

Before Nick got into the police mobile, he looked at his grandfather, they exchanged nods, and Nick's eyes fell into Fera's. He was forced to get in after that. Lola Clarita furiously got in the house and started calling everyone.

"You seem calm," she got surprised by the old man's question.

"I am always, sir." A confident low voice came out of her lips.

"You're his classmate, did I remember it right?" The moment he opened his mouth this time, Fera sensed his agenda. Her defensive mood automatically activated.

"Yes, sir."

"Who are you?"

"His classmate, sir." A quick response made the old man smile.

"Attorney Nickolas Hernandez," he took his right hand out and offered a handshake. Fera was clueless but maintained her calm expression.

"Fera Luzares," she accepted it and they did shake hands.

"I know everyone from my circle, Fera." And he gave her a warm smile, she lost her words and her hammering heart against her chest brought an electric current throughout her body. 'Attorney,' she quoted mentally.

"Feel at home, my driver will send you home by four in the afternoon." She unconsciously nodded and he let her hand go. He walked out leaving Fera in the doorway, if she wasn't just tensed, she might have dropped her jaw hearing those words.

She was left in her most awkward situation, she didn't know if was it fine to walk in again. Would it be appropriate to roam around?

"What should I do?" she spoke through her breath.

"Miss Fera?" A servant approached her and she weakly turned her head.

"Yes?"

"Madame, Clarita asked you to come upstairs." 'Thank God,' she thankfully commented in silence. The servant guides her to Clarita's library.

"Lola Clarita?" she called out, and she was too shy to repeat it. She couldn't feel comfortable in someone's presence, which she met just now.

The library was indeed a library, she was expecting an office with a bookshelf or two but no. It was literally full of books, lines of bookshelves in a huge room.

She unconsciously touched a book and read its title. It was a law book, articles, and history books. The next shelves were thick encyclopedias and then found the shelf full of romance stories, the shelf across it was a mystery thriller.

"The secret room," she read its title.

"Dear, I am sorry if I left you out there." She almost jump but managed to restrain herself and harshly closed her eyes.

"No, I understand. I would have done the same if I was in your shoe." She answered and gave the lady an assuring smile.

"My grandson has been giving me headaches, but he never came this far. I expect this from Constancio but it still did make my heart jump." She guided Fera to her coach and offered some tea. Fera quietly listened to her rants.

"I know that it was very brave for Nick to help them but risking his life was a different story. His parents died when he was young, my son was a Detective and her mother was a loving housewife. Maybe he always craves for justice 'cause he never got that justice for his parents." She was a bit shocked by the mind-blowing information about Nick’s family. Her face turned into a confused look, and the lady realized her story.

"I have gone far, that is not my story to tell. However, I have contacted my lawyers and promised that Kingston won't be spending his night in jail." She nodded shortly.

"That's good to hear. He'll be out in no time. You have a great library, if I may mention." The topic was so down so she tried to lift it a bit.

"Thank you, I love books, their smell, and the stories they hold."