MANSION & COUSIN

I QUIETLY FOLLOWED Kade as we walked down the pathway in the middle of the garden, heading to the mansion's main door.

As soon as we stopped in front of the mansion, I removed the face mask he lent me earlier and handed it to him.

"T-Thanks for letting me borrow your..." I paused when he turned to me, grinning from ear to ear.

"You're always welcome..." he mouthed when he took it from me.

I cleared my throat. I withdrew my gaze from him and shifted it to the mansion in front of us.

"Is this your family's mansion?" I asked without glancing at him.

I fixed my attention on the mansion and raked my eyes all over it.

It's a renovated ancestral mansion painted in pink. There's a small veranda in front of it before the low stairs—it's a three-step staircase before you reach the main door.

"This is my grandfather's house. My mother and I have lived here since my father died." Kade answered that made me turn to him. It's the first time he opened up about his family.

 "I see...so this is where you grew up." I just muttered since I didn't know what to say to what he said.

"Yes. I grew up here with my other cousins..."

Kade and I stared at the main door together when it opened wide.

"Oh! I thought you're just all talk."

I shifted my eyes to the woman who came out from there. With her tan skin, long and wavy hair, and curvy body, she bears a resemblance to Mexican actress, Thalia. And if I'm not mistaken...I think she is just around my age.

The woman paused, then folded her arms. "It's great that you thought of coming home, Kaiden Trevor Montalvo I, a.k.a King."

Kade's jaw tightened. "Dammit! Stop calling me that, will you?" 

One corner of the woman's lips rose in a familiar sly smirk. "C'mon, King, what's with the face?"

I don't know how this woman related to Kade, but the way she smirked at Kade is the same way how Kade smirked at me.

"If Aunt Kaia is still alive, I'm sure she would be upset at you because you didn't appreciate the name she gave you."

My lips pursed at what I heard. I didn't know Kade's mother was dead. He didn't mention it earlier. I glanced at Kade and caught his sharp gaze on the person in front of me.

"Shut up, Laura Marissa!" He firmly said, gritting his teeth.

The smirk on the woman's face faded away. "Fvck you, King!"

"Now you know the feeling, Lars." The anger on Kade's face was replaced by a sarcastic smile.

"You're still annoying!" the woman he called Lars breathed furiously.

       I stared at the woman intently as she went down. She did the same, wearing a cold expression in her silver eyes.

She stopped in front of me and scanned me from head to toe. "And who's this gorgeous woman beside you, King?"

I cleared my throat. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable with the way she stares at me.

"She's Clarity." Kade answered for me.

The woman's eyebrows rose. "Hi, I'm Larissa Montalvo. I'm the cousin of that man beside you." She laid her hand in front of me.

I smiled awkwardly as I accepted her handshake. "N-Nice to meet you, Larissa. I'm Clarity Gallego, but you may call me Clari."

"Yeah, I already know you by name. You are the one King is talking about as his new girlfriend."

I abruptly turned to Kade. I gave him a surly look, and he just reciprocated it with a naughty smile.

"What can you say about my new girlfriend, Lars? She's stunning, isn't she?" he asked his cousin while staring straight into my eyes.

I could feel my cheeks and ears heated up. I stealthily moved away from him, but he quickly grabbed my waist.

"Well...she's simply gorgeous." I heard Lars, making my cheek heat up more intensely. I'm certain by that time, my face was literally red as a tomato.

"Anyway… let's go inside. Let's have breakfast. I'm sure you're both hungry from the trip."

Kade and I followed her as she climbed the stairs. Kade is after her, while I'm after him. Kade paused for a moment so we could climb together.

"My stomach is growling."

I ignored his muttering. I just darted my eyes to Lars' back as she climbed ahead of us.

* * * 

A wide living room welcomed us as we stepped inside. With its redwood-painted walls and cedar marbled floor, it's still cozy to look at. There are two chandeliers hanging there. 

Meanwhile, the furniture there is made almost entirely in Narra—from an L-shaped couch to center table facing the indoor fireplace and a mural painting hung above it. On the right side are an antique grand piano and a tall grandfather clock, before the grand staircase to the second floor.

We walked along the side of the living room where there's a hallway leading to the kitchen.

As we reached the kitchen, we saw a woman there facing the stove. To not notice our presence, she must be too busy with whatever she's cooking.

"Nay Ester, King is here."

If Larissa hadn't spoken, she wouldn't have turned to us.

"It really is you, Kade." The woman smiled broadly as soon as she saw Kade. "I'm sorry if I didn't open the gate for you earlier. I just can't leave what I'm cooking and it might burn."

"It's nothing, Nay. I made a way, anyway." Kade winked, making the woman smile.

"It's great that you thought of going home now, your grandfather has been waiting for you since last month."

"There's a lot of work in the company, 'Nay, that's why I just got home.'"

The woman nodded at Kade. "It doesn't matter...the important thing is you got home," she said before she turned to me. "And who is that girl with you?" She slightly lowered her eyeglasses while staring at my face.

Fidgeting with the way she stares at me, I tried to smile at her, "Good m-morning." I almost stuttered.

She gave me a critical look that made me feel a little embarrassed. I bent my head down and stared at the pumps I'm wearing. I can feel it...Nay Ester doesn't like my presence that's why she's staring at me like I'm a possible suspect for a heinous crime.

"The woman I will marry one day."

I gasped at Kade's answer to the previous question. I looked up at him, only to be greeted by his broad grin.

"Looks like you're sure she's the one you're going to marry, Kade?"

"I bet, Nay..." Kade mouthed. His arm brushed up against my shoulder after he folded his arms.

"Is that so..." a forced smile appeared on the woman's lips. She briefly faced the stove and then faced us again.

A sweet, spicy-hot fragrance suddenly clung to my nose. I glanced at the tray she was holding, four freshly baked cinnamon bread were on it. My stomach growled even more.

"Have breakfast already. You two must be starving after the long drive."

"Let's eat. I'm hungry too." Larissa announced who was sitting at the end of the long dining table.

"Sit down, young woman. Don't make the food wait." 

I jerked when I heard the old woman's serious voice beside me.

"O-Okay..." I stammered as I walked towards the dining table. Kade was already sitting there.

How he sat there right away when he was just next to me earlier...I don't know.

"Let's eat now." He pulled the chair next to him to let me sit there.

I didn't hesitate to sit there, especially I could feel Nay Ester glancing at me from time to time as if she's watching my every move.

We ate breakfast in silence. Nay Ester didn't go with us, she said she would just eat with other housemaids later, nonetheless, she stayed. She roamed around the kitchen, serving us and making herself busy by washing the utensils she used earlier.

"Let's go, Clari." It's Larissa before she left the kitchen.

We just had our breakfast and since she finished her breakfast fastly, she got up first.

I stood up since I'm also finished. I was about to pick up the plate I used when Kade stopped my hand. I stared at him and our eyes met as he shook his head.

"Nay Ester will take care of this. Just follow her." He commanded, glancing at the kitchen's entrance where his cousin came out.

 If I hadn't heard Larissa calling me loudly from the living room, I wouldn't have rushed out. I left Kade in the kitchen, who still hadn't finished eating, and 'Nay Ester, who was still cleaning up some things.

I caught up with Larissa, who's standing in the middle of the living room.

"It took you so long to follow," she grumbled with her forehead slightly furrowed in a little impatience.

"Sorry." I apologetically smiled.

"No, it's okay...follow me," she half-smiled before she walked towards the stairs. 

Like what she said, I immediately followed her 

"Ahm...w-where are we going?" I asked as we walked up the stairs.

"Into my room."

I paused from walking. "B-But Kade said that...I'm staying in the guest room." I said baffledly, since Kade mentioned it earlier while we were having breakfast there.

I heard her giggled before turning to me. "Yes. You will stay in the guest room, but first, we will go to my room to get you a change..." She folded her arms and raked her eyes all over me. "Unless you really want to wear corporate attire and pumps all day."

My forehead wrinkled, so she immediately made up for it.

"By the way, my room is right next to the guest room you'll be sleeping in, so I'll come over tonight to talk to you. I want to know about you since you're my cousin's new girlfriend. Would that be okay with you, Clari?" She arched an eyebrow like she wasn't really asking for my approval. It's more like a command from her I should follow.

* * * 

"HERE'S my room." Larissa declared as we stopped in front of a black door.

She turned the doorknob, and we were welcomed by the white queen size bed on the side. Walls were painted cream with gray linings. All the furniture inside is all white—from the cabinet, vanity mirror, couch to the center table.

"Come in..." Larissa widely opened the door for me as she went inside the room first.

I followed her as I roamed my eyes around the place. Her room is bright because of the open sliding glass window in the middle—a floor to ceiling window leading to the terrace.

9:30 am. That's what I saw when I glanced at her bedside table and had a glimpse of the time from the digital clock placed on it. It's already late morning, that's why the sunlight passing through the window and scattered in her room is already intense. 

"This is my room since I was little. This place is my sanctuary, Clarity. I would never trade it for the fancy suites in the city."

Larissa got my attention when she brought it up. I slowly turned to her. I caught her shaking her head lightly. 

"I'm sorry... I'm starting to talk randomly again." She nervously giggled.

"It's okay." I genuinely smiled.

She smiled back before speaking again. "Have a seat first." She gestured her hand to the single seater sofa beside the window.

I sat there and watched her as she walked towards the floor to ceiling cabinet.

"Do you like wearing short shorts? Spaghetti straps?" She began to ask, which made my eyes widened and also made me immediately shake my head firmly.

"No." I promptly refused.

"Hmm…how about revealing dress like backless dress? Tube dress?"

I can still hear the clanking of metal from the iron hangers and clothes lines as she continues to search for something to lend me.

Meanwhile, I bit my bottom lip and felt my chest thump fast. Was I nervous that she might force me to wear those clothes if she can't find a decent one?

I'm a conservative type of woman. Even though I am the general manager of a resort and usually attend parties or social gatherings...there's no chance in my life that I wore such a revealing dress that shows most of my skin. I can still consider wearing a knee-length tube dress but it should have a see-through or lace top design, covering my collar bone down to my exposed chest and some parts of my back.

My thoughts paused when I heard Larissa snorted with laughter. My brows slowly knitted as I gave her a confused face.

"Oh em gee! You should've seen your face earlier! Why are you so pale? You think I will force you to wear them?" She's still laughing amusingly. "If I do that, King will surely not just hit me in my head...he'll also throw me out!"

My face just frowned even more as Larissa poked fun at me. Oh gosh! I just met another Kade today in a woman's persona. 

My little annoyance with her melted when she handed me the decent white dress she found. It's a short-sleeve dress that reaches my knee.

She also handed me a paper bag. "I have a big cup size and I think it won't fit you. My undies were all laced panties and I'm sure enough, a conservative woman like you won't wear those."

I checked what's inside the paperbag. There were only bras and underwear with tags. Did they buy it just for me?

"It seems that you weren't prepared to come here as if you were just dragged out of nowhere because you only have a shoulder bag and tumbler with you... besides yourself in a corporate attire."

"T-Thanks..." I stared at Larissa with an awkward smile while she stood in front of me. I'm grateful that she acknowledges my norms and respects them.

Her lips twitched, "You're welcome. You can change your clothes there. I'm sure you're feeling hot in your corporate suit." She pointed down a hallway near the vanity mirror, heading to the bathroom.

I followed her at once. I slid the dress inside the paper bag and carried it to the bathroom.

The spotless, fully equipped bathroom blew me away. Towels and bathrobes hang next to the marbled sink. On top of it are complete toiletries— from shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, feminine wash, shaving cream, toothpaste to new toothbrushes!

I couldn't help but gasp in amusement. This mansion is quite amusing. The more I spend time here and see every corner, the more I admire it as a whole.

I took advantage of the opportunity while I was in the bathroom. After I folded my corporate suit and put it in a paper bag, I took a half bath because I was feeling sticky.

It took me five minutes before I came out of the bathroom. I acted quickly because I was embarrassed to make Lars wait so long.

"Really, Clarity? You don't want her to wait, but you even took a half bath?" I scoffed internally, contradicting myself.

I found Larissa facing the vanity mirror.

"I'm right...you took a shower that's why it took you so long inside the bathroom." Larissa concluded as she glanced at me from my reflection in the mirror. I'm wearing the dress she had lent me.

I bit my side lip and coughed gently. "I-I'm sorry...I just feel sticky. That's why—"

"It's fine." Larissa immediately turned around to face me. "That's exactly what I was going to tell you earlier, I just forgot." A smile was drawn from her glossy red lips as her eyes raked over me. "Feelin' fresh?"

I nodded. Meanwhile, she got up and came to me. She fixed her silver eyes on my bare face.

I gulped as I felt the intensity of her gaze.

"I thought that you were too plain to capture King's interest, but seeing your face right now made me doubt—"

Larissa didn't finish what she was saying when her phone on top of the vanity mirror rang. Shaking her head, she turned away from me and took a few steps to where she had been sitting earlier.

"Yes?" She queried on the other line. She listened for a moment to what the person she was talking to said before she slowly faced me. "She's still here...she just took her shower...okay...okay...I'll just show her the guest room then we'll go down...alright."

Larissa quickly pocketed her phone. "It's King who called. He's waiting for you downstairs, but I'll show you the guest room first before we go down."

Larissa made me change my pumps into flip-flops before we went to the guest room next to hers.