New Course 2

I asked Sean to bring me home after we kissed. I felt so awkward in thinking how fast have we come to this stage of a relationship. I barely knew Sean except for those facts he revealed during the inauguration of Laminae, Inc. Who would ever believe that I got into a whirlwind romance with the man who wrote the success of this giant company?

"We're here," Sean extracted me from my mental trail as soon as he parked in my garage. I did not wait for him to open the door for me because I already got used to getting out on my own ever since I was with Eric.

Sean had come up with me as I stood fumbling with the keys. He took it from my hand and picked the door key in less than a few seconds.

"Red, don't do it again."

I gathered my brows as I threw him a side glance. "What do you mean?"

"You should wait for me before you step down from the car."

I smiled at his thoughtfulness but did not say a word. I hope he would be the real gentleman he seemed to be.

"I don't want my friends and acquaintances to say I am a tyrant."

"You're not?" I teased him. Eric wore the same image when he first brought me to his house.

"Ouch, it hurts," he squirmed and made a long face, pretending he was indeed hurt. " Mother used to remind me that I should take good care of women like fragile pieces of glass."

The door clicked open so I waited until Sean opened it wide for us. I held back my comment about his mother until we could sit down and talk about it. I dropped myself on the couch after placing my shoes on the rack. Sean also removed his shoes and sat beside me.

"Tell me more about your mother," I asked, hugging the bear I placed on the corner table beside the couch.

"My mother moved to Australia when he married my father. However, he died early, leaving my mother alone in fending for herself and me." Sean let out a faint smile and there was a glint of sadness in his eyes.

I tilted my head and placed it on top of the bear's head, while my arms were wrapping around the bear's body. My eyes were glued on him.

"She worked as a massage therapist, and one of her clients is Mr. Thomas Grey, one of the famous business tycoons in the country. Later on, our connection with him paved my way to becoming a Grey."

"Wait. Your mom married Mr. Grey later on?"

"No, but Sir Thomas adopted me."

Did he adopt him without the marriage? It sounded odd to me.

"Why didn't they get married?"

I didn't hold back my curiosity. We were on the get-to-know-each-other stage, and therefore, I shouldn't hold back what I had in my mind. There must be a beautiful love story existing between Sean's mother and Mr. Thomas Grey. Yet, perhaps, her mother was apprehensive because of the possible tension within the family members. It was a common scenario, and therefore, it wouldn't raise any doubt.

"My mom closed her heart to any man." Sean chuckled after saying this. Of course, Sean expected me to have my own opinion as to why her mother did not grab the opportunity to be married to a wealthy man.

"She's praiseworthy," I said, surprising Sean. I admired her honestly for not taking advantage of the opportunity.

"Sir Thomas also deserves praise because even if my mother refused to marry him, he still insisted on adopting me legally."

"Really, Sean? Is Sir Thomas childless? Doesn't he have a family?" I got so intrigued by Sean's story, especially that of Mr. Grey.

"Sir Thomas had only one son, and his name was Albert Grey. Sir Albert also had one daughter."

Had. Past tense. "Had they passed away already?"

"Yes." Sean looked at me in the eyes, and suddenly, I felt a weight pressing against my chest. I scoffed inwardly. Why would I feel sad? Why did I become so melancholic nowadays? Was it because of Eric?

"Didn't you have any problem with his son, especially with the inheritance?" I wondered about this matter also, aside from the fact that he had the same name as my father.

"Not at all because he ran away from his father because of anger. He only came back when Sir Thomas forced him to go home. Unfortunately, it did not take long before he got into a hepatic coma. He's suffering from liver cancer."

The weight pressing against my chest was then constricting my breathing that I heaved a deep sigh. What a coincidence! My father also died due to liver cancer. However, I tried to hide my feelings by stretching out our conversation.

"Anger? Why? And how about his daughter?"

I saw Sean's change of expression when I threw him that series of questions. I suspected that it must be because of Sean's mother, not being accepted into Mr. Grey's family. Perhaps, Sean didn't want to talk about it because it's something shameful on the part of his mother.

I couldn't explain why, but I also recalled my father's anger toward his family. I even connected the emotion to our conversation. My father was stubborn. Asking about his family was a taboo. Even my mother did not know what his family background was, and I grew up without knowing who my relatives were. Sad to say, he died unreconciled with his family. If he did not have the heart to tell me that he was already dying due to liver cancer, I guessed he also didn't dare to inform his family about his illness. Probably, he stood on his pride to defy them even in his sickbed.

"Sir Albert could not accept that his father replaced her mom in just a few years after her death. That's what I overheard on that day that Sir Albert left. Sir Thomas was too kind to keep that from us."

"Was Sir Albert cruel to you?" I asked, my gloomy feelings inside started to grip me emotionally.

"Not at all. They were even away from the house when they last argued. He was careful enough to keep us from hearing them.

I sighed again. Then, I asked. "Sean, do you have a photo of Sir Albert?"