chapter 3

Jasper

I had a lot of problems to deal with and suddenly another one came up, this time making me go home and pack my bags to get away from a bloody scandal that could jeopardize my career and ruin everything I'd built up, but how could I have imagined that that plastic girl was only 15? She looked a lot older and my mother had her jet packed at the speed of light while I talked to my lawyer, who told me to go to a small town in the mountains between Scotland and England - Kelson was the name of the place - and get a house there. It was difficult, but I managed it because houses are usually rented out in the winter because people go there most of the time to ski in the Alps.

I took a deep breath, opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. Today I had woken up a little pensive. All I knew was that I had to pack my bags as quickly as possible and leave the city because my mother would try to hush up this scandal as quickly as possible. And to do that, I would have to look for some dirt on the girl to try and save me from it because if it was proven that she had done this before, it would be easier to save me from a possible jail sentence. I snapped out of my thoughts when the door to my room suddenly opened and my mother walked through it.

" Come on, get up, my son," my mother said, opening the curtains.

I put my hand over my face and sighed.

" I thought I could lie down for a few more seconds," I said to her, looking up at the ceiling for a few seconds.

" You have to leave the country as soon as possible," my mother said in a worried voice.

I knew she was doing a lot for me by taking me out of the country to try and save me from jail and I was immensely grateful.

"Thank you," I said to my mother, being completely sincere.

"I know you're innocent and I didn't know she was underage," she said, sitting down on the bed.

I grabbed her hand and she gave it a gentle squeeze.

" Do you think the girl has any dirt on her even though she has the father she has? " I asked her with a slight grimace.

" Everyone has something they can't hide for long," my mother said with an obstinate look on her face.

I gave her a smile and the two of us talked for a few seconds, then she kicked me out of bed and pushed me towards the closet to get ready. As soon as I got in, I saw all my suitcases ready in the corner and it was strange but I felt inside that somehow this trip was going to bring me a lot of surprises but I still didn't know if they were good or bad.

After a few minutes, when I was ready, I walked towards the bedroom again and at the same moment some of the staff entered the room, going towards the closet and coming out with my suitcases. I looked around me with a little sigh and then walked towards the door and as soon as I passed through the doorway I stopped for a few seconds, looking back into the room and then closed the door.

" I think this trip is going to hold a lot of surprises for me," I say to myself a little thoughtfully.

I walked down the corridor at a slow pace, each of these walls containing memories of my childhood and somehow this made me feel a bit melancholy because, like it or not, it made me feel nostalgic, even though I didn't like remembering things from the past, but sometimes it was stronger than me.

As soon as I got close to the staircase, I began to descend step by step quickly and as soon as I was in the living room, my mother, who until then had been sitting with one of my sisters, stood up, Kaya came running and gave me a big hug and she repeated the same thing my mother had said.

" Things will be cleared up and you'll come home," my sister said, giving my shoulder a squeeze.

" May God hear you," I said to my sister, kissing her on the head.

As soon as the car arrived at the gate I saw that it was full of photographers who quickly put their cameras into action, taking lots of pictures of the car. There were some journalists who started shouting my name and asking questions as the gates opened and the car started to pass my mother told the driver to go faster but to be careful not to run anyone over because all we didn't want right now was another scandal.

After a few minutes, the car finally left the crowd of people and I looked out of the window to see that they were right behind it taking lots of photos of the car, which I'm sure would have been published in all the tabloids in town. But it would certainly be in the media that I was probably trying to escape.

" That would be in all the newspapers " Kaya said, picking up her cell phone.

" We'll get around another possible scandal " my mother said, looking at the two of us with determination.

But I trusted my mother completely, because Miriam Barnes goes to great lengths when she wants something, and she doesn't hold back until she gets it.

" Mom, wouldn't it be better if I went with Jasper to Kelson? " Kaya asked, looking at our mother.

My mother was silent for a few seconds, thinking about what my sister had said.

" Yes, that way no one will say I'm trying to run away," I said, looking at the two of them, thinking that my sister's idea was wonderful.

" That's a wonderful idea, but we forgot to get a suitcase for you, my daughter," my mother said, wiping her hand across her forehead.

Kaya smiled brightly.

" I had already thought of that," Kaya said with a small smile.