Chapter 11

The weather on Saturday morning was grim. 

The sky was covered with dark clouds threatening rain and the air was cold. It was the kind of weather where staying in bed all day sleeping became much more tempting than getting up to do something productive. I almost gave in to that temptation because being buried under a bundle of sheets and a thick duvet provided me the perfect shield against the cold air outside the covers. As it was Saturday, I didn't get up as early as I would on a weekday but neither did I spend my entire morning in bed. At the latest, I would usually get up at around eight and today was no different. 

Groaning, I groggily lifted the covers off and shivered at the sudden chill I felt. 

Goosebumps appeared on my skin and for a minute, I debated just lying back down and going back to sleep. However, there was something I wanted to do today so I forced myself to move. 

I ended up taking a hot shower to soothe my freezing body. The hot water fell from the shower head and cascaded down my shivering form, providing me with the much-missed warmth. I started scrubbing myself, and made sure to shave my underarms and legs, before rinsing off. Although the soap had all vanished from my body, I spent a good ten minutes more just standing there, encompassed by the warmth and comfort the shower gave. 

It was when my fingers began looking like dried prunes that I decided to step out. 

I dried myself and quickly wore the clothes I had grabbed from my dresser. Normally I would go outside and dress myself in my bedroom but since I didn't want to face the cold air with nothing on, I thought it better to just get dressed inside the bathroom. 

Today's outfit consisted of a pair of long sweatpants, a plain white t-shirt, and a baby blue hoodie that went over it. Nothing fancy or chic but definitely comfortable. 

I brushed out my hair and let it hang loosely. 

Satisfied, I brushed my teeth and rinsed my mouth, blowing a raspberry in the process. This ended my morning routine and it was finally time to grab some breakfast. 

——————[oo]——————

The breakfast table was empty. 

And by empty, I mean that Mr Haynes and his two sons were not there nor did they turn up any time later. I ended up eating alone but I was curious as to why they weren't present and why only one other place was set apart from mine. When Ms Owens came into the dining room holding a jug of milk, I took the chance to ask her.

"Oh, I must've forgotten to inform you," she said putting the jug on the table. "Mr Haynes is currently on a business trip overseas. He'll be gone for two months I believe. As for the young masters, they went to a party last night but only Young Master Cassius has returned. I assume that he is still in bed."

"Oh," I hummed, putting a piece of bacon in my mouth. 

"And today Miss Lynette, I should let you know that I have the rest of the afternoon off," Ms Owens suddenly stated. "I have requested to take leave to visit my son who just arrived in town for a work trip so I will not be around from about 12:30 P.M."

"You have a son?" I asked surprised. 

"I do," she stated proudly. "Handsome young lad and a hard worker. The best thing I could have ever asked for."

I smiled. She seemed really proud of her son and didn't hesitate to make it known. 

"That sounds lovely Ms Owens," I replied. "No need to worry about me. I was planning to go to a movie later today - one that just came out in the cinemas."

"Oh, that's great! Are you going with friends from school?" she asked with a hopeful look in her eye. I chuckled and shook my head, "No. Sadly. I'm going by myself just for fun. I need a break after weeks of studying nonstop."

Her expression softened, "I see. Then I'm glad you know when to take a break. So much stress on your body is not healthy."

She didn't bring up the subject of me going alone. It wasn't a secret that I had no friends since I didn't hang out with anyone and I'm sure that Ms Owens was worried about that but since I never brought it up or seemed sad about it, she never pushed me to open up. That's what I like about her. Perhaps it was from her experience of working for the Haynes family but she was good at reading people; knowing when and when not to talk, and knowing exactly what to say. 

"You'll be fine then this afternoon?" she questioned, worry present in her expression. 

"I will be," I responded with a reassuring grin. "You go have fun with your son. I think I can handle one afternoon here by myself."

She nodded and patted my back, "Alright then. That's good. If you need something, feel free to message me. You have my number I presume."

"I do," I said. "Thank you."

She laughed and said, "No need to thank me, deary," before shooting me another comforting smile and heading back to the kitchen. After she left, I finished my meal and took my dishes to the kitchen before going back upstairs.

——————[oo]——————

[General POV]

Cassius woke up with a blinding headache and a stuffy nose. 

Images of the previous night's shenanigans flashed through his mind and he rolled over on the bed, groaning. His body felt heavy and not the hangover kind of heavy but the 'I-think-I'm-sick' kind of heavy. 

"Fuck," he swore under his breath. 

This was not good. He despised being sick. 

The party last night was great but the morning after was not. He recalled, faintly, calling his driver to come to pick him up and take him home after Marcus disappeared into some room with a random chick. Cassius was planning on doing the same but he was feeling off so he came home earlier than he usually would and went straight to bed without bothering to wash up. 

Now he knew why he was feeling off. 

"Damn," he muttered, dragging himself up from the bed. 

He hobbled over to the bathroom and came out several minutes later with a fresher look. Said look did nothing to hide his red nose and puffy eyes. Earlier, once he had stepped into the shower, he began sneezing and his nose started running. After he came out, freshly cleaned up and wearing a comfortable outfit, he continued sniffing and had to blow his nose into a tissue. 

He tossed the dirty tissue into the trash and sneezed. 

"Shit," he moaned. "This is the worst."

He had a date with Stacy Miles today; something he'd been looking forward to all week because...well...she's hot!

But now he had to cancel it. 

Typing a short-worded message, he sent it and was about to turn his phone off when he noticed the time. 

"It's already one?!" 

He had woken up so late. No wonder his stomach was rumbling - he was hungry!

Cassius shoved his phone in the back pocket of his grey sweatpants and exited his room before making his way downstairs. 

As soon as he entered the dining room, he stopped and stared. Seated at the table, eating a single bowl of soup whilst scrolling on her phone was the 'guest' of his household. 

He frowned. 

Admittedly, he had nothing personal against her but he despised the woman who gave birth to her. Following his brother and father, Cassius never paid attention to her and ignored her presence altogether. At some point during the month though, he also ended up forgetting that she even lived with them since she was as quiet as a mouse. 

This was the first time he had actually noticed her despite her always sitting at the same dining table as him almost every day. 

If she noticed him too, she did not show it and continued looking at her phone screen while spooning what looked to be tomato soup, into her mouth. 

Cassius looked around and went into the kitchen to get Ms. Owens to make him something. However, he was unhappy to find that she was nowhere around. 

He came back out and pursed his lips. Instead of talking to the house 'guest', he took out his phone and messaged Ms. Owens before going to the main sitting room and slumping on the sofa. He pulled out another tissue and blew his nose into it, scowling as he saw the mucus. When he tossed the tissue into the trash bin nearby, he got a notification. 

Tapping on his phone screen, his eyes widened when he saw Ms Owens' text. 

"She's not home?"

She said there was food in the fridge that could be warmed up but he didn't want just any sort of food. He wanted chicken soup. Freshly cooked chicken soup which would help him sleep off the cold.

"Damn it. What do I do now?"

He sighed and turned off his phone. 

Cassius glanced over at the window and saw the weather outside. Even if he had a driver, he didn't want to step out of the house in this weather as it would only worsen his sickness. Instead, he opted to call up and order from a nearby restaurant to have it delivered. 

Tapping the screen again, he searched up the number for a nearby restaurant that sold chicken soup and picked a highly-rated one to order from. 

"I apologize, sir. Due to the bad weather, an electrical fault occurred in the restaurant and we are currently without power. Our backup generator is also not working so we will be unable to cook or service anyone today."

And there's goes his last option. 

The other restaurants in the area that sold chicken soup were not rated well so he didn't trust them. 

With a sigh, he dragged himself back to the kitchen and discovered the girl - Lynette, was it? - washing her dishes in the sink. She gave him a brief glance before turning back to her activity; not saying a word. 

He ignored her and opened the fridge to see what food was there. 

There was a container of beef stew and a container of mashed potato.

Both of which made his stomach churn. 

He grimaced and was about to reach inside and grab them when he realized something. 

'Hang on. If there is only beef stew and mashed potatoes, where did she get the soup from?'

Cassius knew it wasn't a packet soup since his father despised those sorts of things. His father had long banned any kind of preserved foods like packet ramen and frozen junk from the kitchen due to how processed and unhealthy they were. So Cassius knew that she couldn't have used a pre-made tomato soup. 

He would never have entertained the idea of talking to her but out of desperation and a bit of deliriousness, he opened his mouth and asked, "Where'd you get the soup?"

He watched as her back stiffened and her actions froze. She placed the bowl gently on the drying rack and turned around to give him a strange look. Seeing as it was only the two of them there, she was obviously the only person he could have been speaking to. 

After a brief hesitation, she replied, "I made it. Ms Owens said I was allowed to use the kitchen to cook something if I didn't want anything in the fridge and...it-it wasn't against the rules so..."

It was clear she was afraid. Her form shrunk back and her fingers began fiddling nervously with the straps of her hoodie. 

"I'm sorr-"

"Make me some."

Her head shot up in surprise. Unsure whether she heard correctly or not, she asked, "What?"

Cassius scowled, having to repeat himself, "I said make me some. And add chicken to it."

The girl blinked in shock before she bit her lip. Tilting her head, she then questioned, "Chicken?"

"Hn," Cassius hummed. He glared, "Unless you can make chicken soup, just make the same thing you had and add chicken."

With that, he stalked out of the kitchen and once he was a good distance away, he let out a sneeze he was doing his best to hold in. 

'Fucking cold...'

"And leave it outside my door when you're done!!" he shouted out before going upstairs. 

Meanwhile, Lynette was left standing in the kitchen with her mouth open. 

"What...just happened?"