She woke up feeling so much refreshed even though the constant heaviness that sighed her down was still there. She still wasn’t able to forget about Nate had done to her and every time, his love kept increasing in her heart, and it was a wonder how she was able to control herself from sending him a text or calling him each time she felt the urge unbearable for her. Mom forced her to take a few days off from work and she took a whole week to meditate her soul and Anna could say it was the best thing she had ever done to herself, because she felt more like her old self now, even though she was certain it would take her a few months or even year before she would ever be healed completely.
She groaned softly, not because of pain or something but because she was even tired of sleeping every day and was both glad and sad that today would be the day she went back to work. She got ready swiftly for she knew that Julia must’ve been waiting for her maybe an hour ago or even more. She got out of her room with a small smile attached to her lips. She met Julia downstairs waiting for her and she smiled at her.
“Good morning, Ma’am. I hope you have slept well, and you enjoyed your break?” She asked softly and smiled at her; Anna nodded as she sat on the dining table.
“It was fine, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Thank you for giving that total rest without calls and complains. How’s everything in the company going?” She asked while she waited as the maid served her. They spoke about work while Anna ate her breakfast, or better nibbled. Because she knew either Mom or Julia would complain about her not eating enough food these days, she wouldn’t have bothered eating because her appetite was still not back.
She stood up after she was done and Julia was about to lead the way out for them when Anna hesitated, “I need to go and see Mom, I haven’t seen her since yesterday.” She turned her heels and walked toward Mom’s wing. Taking the stairs two at a time as Julia spoke at her, ‘Be careful Ma’am,’ she smiled, even though she hated how everyone treated her as though she were a young girl or a clumsy egg. “I’ll meet you outside, Julia! Meet me there!” She yelled and disappeared into Mom’s room.
She met her lazing around in her living room with a book and a coffee beside her on the table. She smiled at her and went there to sit beside her, “Good morning, Mom.” She said and rested her head on Mom’s shoulder. She didn’t know what was with her and showing Mom affection these days. Mom smiled and fondled her head lovingly.
“Good morning to you too, Anna. I hope you’ve slept well yesterday?” She could excuse Anna’s behavior, even though she loved it when Anna showed her affection, but she knew it was never going to last because she was never going to be like this forever. The moment she got over her heartbreak, she’d be back to the Anna she used to be.
“I did, Mom. I’ll be going back to work today.” She said with a smile and lazily stood up, Mom placed down the book she was holding and nodded her head at her.
“Okay, I’ve assigned a bodyguard for you, Anna. I made sure Julia showed him all your medical problems and how to give you a quick first aid before he took you to the hospital in case something happens. He’ll always be together with you because I know of the attack you had in that company a week ago.”
Anna was just staring at her, but her face was beginning to curl into a frown and Daphne smiled, “I know what you’re going to say, Anna, you’re an adult, you can take care of yourself; that I’m so sure of. But do you know what? I have to take care of you too, you’re my only child, and I love you so much to risk anything happening to you.” Anna wanted to argue but the way Mom looked genuinely concerned, Anna could only nod begrudgingly, and she walked out of the room.
Her mind briskly wandered back to Jack. Was he the one Mom was talking about? Did he take the job she offered for him so that he could have a way of avenging on her? But how, because he knew that whatever happened to her, he would be caught as well because he will be the first one that will be interrogated. Maybe he wasn’t the one, she silently told herself as she trudged outside to where Julia, her driver and now her bodyguard were waiting for her.
But if it happened to be Jack, she didn’t even know what she was going to do to him. How would she act? Even though a fraction of her heart got so excited when she thought of the possibility of him being her bodyguard, she brutally denied that feeling and those flimsy thoughts. She first saw Julia and when she walked further, she saw him. The bodyguard. His back was facing them as he did something with his phone. She felt as her heart lost a beat, because he looked built that she began to think whether he was the one.
“Julia,” she mustered a poised expression, bringing back the superior Anna Brayden version of herself, “Mom told me that she has hired a bodyguard for me, where is he?” She pretended as though she hadn’t seen him already or as if she hadn’t been silently praying that he appeared to be the one she wanted him to be even though she would deny that thought numerously.
“Charles?” Julia called out and when he turned, Anna didn’t know when her mouth went agape. This was it, the most handsome and muscular man she had ever seen in her whole life.
“Good morning, Ma’am.” He spoke with a slightly pitched tone and that was when she realized that she had been staring at him without realizing he had walked up to her for a proper introduction. “My name is Charles Martin, and I’ll be your personal bodyguard from today onwards.” He smiled softly at her and Anna could feel the way her heart threatened to burst out of her chest.
She masked up her expression and nodded her head at him, to avoid disgracing herself further. “My name is Anna Brayden, thank you for working with me, Charles.” She extended her hand to him for a shake and he took that reluctantly and when she felt the way he softly yet manly held her hand, Anna wanted to run back home and thank Mom for getting him for her as a guard. She had never seen someone that she got attracted to at first glance but this guy, his eyes, the way he stood, his physique, everything. And when a smile graced her lips as she slipped into the car, she was glad that it wasn’t Jack. Because if it were him, he would only hurt and make her cry, they will always cry. But this man? She’d love to see what would be of them sooner or later because damn it! Anna Brayden got what Anna Brayden always wanted.
And she wanted Charles, that was certain even though she had met him barely some minutes ago.
❦
Jack palmed his face and ignored all that was going on around him. He was used to this, but this time it hurt a lot because he knew he had failed her. Her looked up to how she was panting and staring at him as she rambled unstoppably. “Mom!” He whined, clearly exhausted from this conversation then he had ever been.
He didn’t know why he had left that letter where she could see it. But who thought she would see it? She hardly ever entered his room; it was always Willa that did that, and he had informed her about that already. “I’m sorry that I haven’t told you this, but this is exactly what I avoided, Mom. I don’t want you to panic over just a suspension. They only suspended me, not fired! Don’t you at least understand the difference, please?” His eyes held his plea, he wished she would act as though she hadn’t seen that letter and walk out of his room but the woman he knew would never do that.
“That’s not what I’m talking about, if your father hears about this, Jack…”
“To hell with him! He should hear about it for all that I care but one thing I know is, I’m never going to work in his company even if I’m going to homeless which will never happen. Stop panicking please.” He didn’t know what was wrong with his mother even though he knew what she had said was true as well. His Father might say that he had to work in his company because that was the reason he was against him being a pilot because he wanted him to work under him. And Jack wanted to be independent on himself, and besides all that, he loved being a pilot and nothing could stop him from that. Not even Anna Brayden.
Bitter engulfed his soul when he remembered about her, but he quickly pushed that thought away. He had never told anyone that he had a personal beef with her or that she was the reason behind this. Clara didn’t know as well, because he knew if he told her about Anna and what she did to him, she might take the news to the paparazzi and paint her black.
“You can’t tell me to stop panicking, Jack. Only I know the kind of person he is, we had a fight when you were in Florida and it’s all because…”
He cut her off, because he knew the moment she began to talk about his father and their unending fights, nothing could stop her from crying her eyes out. “I know that, that’s why I don’t want you to panic and I can assure you that he wouldn’t find out even if he has asked.”
“How?!” She threw her hands on the air and the tears she had been fighting came down to her cheeks. “How wouldn’t he know? He keeps tabs on you, Jack! What do you want me to do if something happens? You love being a pilot, and I’ve already promised you that I’ll keep on fighting with you until the end.”
He stared at the way her shoulders shook and he wanted to kill Anna for causing all this upon him, but what mattered the most now was his mother crying because of what Anna had done to him. He stood up and moved to where she stood as she cried before he brought her to his chest. “Shhh, Mother. That’s fine, I’ve spoken with the HR and he promised that he will never tell anyone. Don’t panic, okay? Nothing will go wrong, Mom.” She kept on crying on his chest as she shook her head.
He broke their hug with his hands placed on her shoulders, “Why don’t we go for shopping? Will that make you feel better?” The ends of his lips began to twitch into a smile, and she punched his chest lightly.
“Why do you have to know me this much, Jack? But you’re taking me there, deal?”
He laughed as he nodded his head at her, “Yes, I’d take you there and shop with you, deal. Let’s call Willa, should we? Have a small family picnic.” He suggested and he saw the way her eyes gleamed with so much happiness and before she uttered the next words he was sure she would, he pouted his lips and shook his head at her, “Not him, Mom. You know the atmosphere will never be jovial if he’s there with us. Besides, he’s busy with work.”
“I don’t like you acting this way towards him, he’s your father, Jack.”
He giggled and nodded his head, “Go ahead and get ready, I’ll be down in a few minutes.” And she walked out with a small smile on her lips while he dialed Willa’s number, “Are you free, Willa? We’re going to shopping with Mom and maybe a small family picnic, that’s if we’re done early.” He had to take the phone away from his ears at the scream that filled his eardrums and he smiled before he ended the call. Maybe staying the whole day with these women will make him feel better, it certainly will make him forget what Anna Brayden’s lips on his made him felt a week ago, which felt as though it was only a second that passed.