Father?

Old man Gonzalez and Cecilia walked to the extravagant garden Cecilia couldn't help but stare at her surroundings in amazement. 

Just how rich can someone be? 

They walked in hushed silence as Cecilia couldn't afford to break the silence as it might displease the old man. She turned around and saw the butler running towards them holding a sheet of paper and a pen. Both Cecilia and the old man got to a particular giant mushroom and sat on the large chair that was placed under it.

She allowed the old man to sit first, seeing her warm gesture, a smirk settled on his lips making her shiver in fear.

"Sit beside me." He offered.

Cecilia was hesitant but she eventually did sit beside him.

"The sky is beautiful isn't it?" He asked, his gaze directed towards the sky.

Cecilia nodded in response. "It is," her voice barely above a whisper.

The butler ran beside the old man but the latter was quick to stop his every move. "Can't you see I'm talking to my potential daughter-in-law?" He asked with a scowl on his face as he raised his brow.

Cecilia almost got choked on her saliva. What did she just hear him call her?

Potential daughter what?

Has he accepted her already?

A lot of questions ran in her head but it was best to keep her questions to herself.

The butler nodded in understanding as he stood beside the old man under the giant mushroom.

"Now, my dear, tell me about yourself and what are your observations on Miguel?" The man asked, his face brightened up as he smiled at her from ear to ear.

Cecilia thought of his questions as a trap, she was dumbfounded for a minute but redirected her tracks. Clearing her throat, she moved on to speak.

"I'm from America, an independent orphan. I have a great ambition for cooking and I'm sure to get a culinary education and a certificate so that I can open my restaurant here in Spain." Cecilia paused for a bit as she exhaled. "That's all my father had ever wanted as he's a retired chef." She added.

The old man was touched by her story but that didn't hinder him from asking her any more questions. "You'd like to get into a culinary school?"

"Yes, sir Gonzalez. It has always been my dream." Cecilia's said, her emerald eyes sparkling in determination.

"Dreams always come through with Gonzalez." The man chuckled.

Cecilia understood his words for some reason and didn't doubt it. For some reason, she didn't want to talk about Miguel's promise of enrolling her into the biggest culinary school in the city as that would lead to their agreement and all. She was jolted in realization when the old man continued with his questions.

"Don't you have any plans of working in the fashion industry?" Old man Gonzalez asked as he massaged his temple waiting for the woman beside him to answer.

Cecilia shook her head disapprovingly. "I don't, sir." 

"Hmmm." After the old man's words came a thick silence.

Cecilia panicked. Did her blunt reply offend him? 

"I'll go with your reply and think about your dreams. Miguel might not approve of you working in the same industry with him and he'd probably treat you like other staff." The old man said.

Phew!

Cecilia heaved a sigh of relief.

Thinking about what the old man just said, she knew what Miguel could do and he would eventually treat her as a random staff. 

"Thank you, sir." She stood up and bowed before him.

"Don't do that, you can call me father now." Old Man Gonzalez chuckled, the wrinkles beside his eyes vivid.

Father?

Everything was just too sudden as she didn't know why the old man accepted her with open arms when according to Miguel, he didn't accept his girlfriend.

Cecilia returned to her sitting position. Her gaze was fixed on her arms as she picked on her fingers.

"And your observations on Miguel?"

"Sir...I mean father, I haven't observed anything but one thing I know for sure is that Miguel is cold and distant."

"You both don't share the same bed?" 

"Pardon?" Cecilia asked almost immediately as she didn't expect the old man's question.

Fuck! She just messed up.

A frown settled on the old man's face but it didn't last as he let out a heartily chuckle. "You both don't share the same bed." He said in certainty.

Cecilia focused on her now trembling hands as she didn't know what to say any further. She has never thought about sharing the same bed with Miguel as she might end up being beaten on the bed.

That's a big no for her.

The old man noticed the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead and dismissed her. "You can go now, I'll see you around."

Cecilia's heart rejoiced as she stood up hastily. She curtsied before leaving the old man's presence.

Old man Gonzalez had a smile on his face as he watched her disappear from his presence. He signaled the butler to come sit beside him and the butler obeyed, handing over the piece of paper to him.

"What happened?"

"It seems the second mistress went berserk. She damaged a property." The butler informed.

Old man Gonzalez nodded in awareness, his eyes flashed in anger as he requested the butler to estimate the damaged expenditures.

Angrily, he stood up from his seat and stormed inside the mansion, the butler following him from behind as he constantly reminded the old man about his health issues which he seemed to disregard.

"Why would I care about my health issues when these people don't heed simple rules?" He asked the butler who didn't give him any specific answer as he followed the old man up to his study room where he was asked to summon Camilla.

The butler met Camilla tending to her child in compassion when he broke the news to her that the master seeks her presence.

Camilla's heartbeat sped up.

Da-dun!