Chapter 75 Truth Or Truth

Chapter 75 Truth Or Truth
Lalissa's feet met the cold tiles, and her face pointed downward at the pool. It was 3 am in the morning, and she should be sleeping, but she couldn't. Cassian and her mother were in his room.

What if?... She curled her toes, staring at her reflection on the pool. The pool lights weren't on making the reflection look bright and beautiful. The full moon also shone brightly on the water. A small chuckle escaped her lips, but it died when the conversation between her mom, Cassian and herself resurfaced in her mind again.

\--
The cutlery clicked softly on the glass plate. Lalissa's eyes have been on her food throughout, but she could feel Cassian's gaze going to her occasionally.

Sara dropped the cutlery, loud enough to draw everybody's attention to herself.

"Lissa, how do you see Cassian?"

Lalissa dragged the fork to the edge of the plate, brow coming together in confusion. "Mom?"

"Hmm," she hummed, joining her hands together. "I made you work with him, and allowed you both to stay together so that your relationship with him will strengthen. He's a good man, right?"

Lalissa's eyes went back to the food, then she glanced at Cassian before fixing her gaze back on her mother.

"I did judge him wrongly before. He's a really good man," she replied, slowly.

Sara smiled, turning to Cassian. "And my daughter, you both have gotten used to each other, right?"

Cassian allowed the question to sit in the air, then he answered, slowly, and composed. "I couldn't have met an obedient daughter like her. She's perfect." He added that Spanish perfect blush making Lalissa blush inwardly.

The smile on Sara's cheek reached her ears. "I couldn't be happier to hear this," she said sweetly, her voice raising in excitement. "That's why I'm happy to announce that I have fixed our wedding day. Five days to go."

Lalissa looked at her sharply. Cassian's eyes were locked on Sara, emotionless.

"When did you decide that?" he asked.

"Why that look?" Sara raised her brow, questionably. "We decided to put the wedding on hold so that you and my daughter will get along. I've seen the results, and now I think it's time we both tie the knot. Living here and knowing we aren't married makes me feel like I'm just your girlfriend." She reached for Lalissa's hand, fondly.

"We should become her parents officially." Her voice was filled with happiness and thoughts.

Lalissa looked away, something swelling in her chest.

"What do you think sweetheart?" Sara asked.

Lalissa withdrew her hand. "I... I'm not feeling well. I'll be in my room."

"What's wrong? Should we go and see the doctor?"

"No," Lalissa forced a smile. "It's nothing serious. I just need to sleep. You know what happened to me." Lalissa stood without waiting for her to say a thing.

Climbing the stairs, she heard her mom ask Cassian. "Do you have an idea what's wrong with her?"

Cassian didn't reply.

\--

Lalissa sighed, putting her legs inside the water. The water reached her smile, and the icy nature of the water made her smile. She scooted further, sliding into the water.

The water reached her neck, and she felt cold relief washing over her. Her lids hugged each other and she freed herself letting the water carry her—anything to get her mind away from what her mother said at the dining table.

The water bubbled around her. She felt a presence.

Her eyelids lifted, and she saw the person who just joined her. Cassian.

She gasped. "My mom?"

"She's asleep. Don't worry."

The moon bathed them with its silver glow. It served as a witness to the silence and intense stare between them.

Cassian's arms went around her waist, pulling her in a tight hug. "Don't think too much about it." He kissed her hair.

"You're going to be my father." Her palm held his shoulder, and pulled him closer, leaving barely a breathing space between them.

"Shush, not father—Daddy."

"She has fixed the date," Lalissa continued. "I'm sure she has printed the cards. You're—"

"Should we come clean?"

She shook her head against his chest. "I don't think I'm ready. What if she misunderstands and—"

"We won't get married, I promise," he murmured, pulling her back to catch a sight of her face. "I want you to trust me," he assured, and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"What if it—" he shut her up by placing his lips on hers. Not moving, just resting enough to stop her words.

Their eyes mirrored intensely at each other's, eyeballs to eyeballs. Soul to soul.

"Don't think too much. I'll handle it."

Lalissa smiled, moving her lips in a slow and passionate way. Her fingers traced to his hair, then slid down back to his back. She ran them to his front, rubbing his tattooed chest.

Cassian's grip tightened possessively on her waist. He nibbled her lower lip, allowing her to kiss him as slowly as she wanted. His hand traced along her curves, feeling her curvatures underneath his palm.

Lalissa's heart raced, the cold water making her want to tell him the three words she wants to say. But his belief about it was something that pushed the words back into her chest each time she gathered courage to say it.

What if he doesn't feel the same way, and ends everything with her?

What if she loses him forever and—

"Your mind isn't here." He broke the kiss.

Lalissa pecked his neck. "I was only wondering if Natasha and Roman have been found." She lied.

Cassian didn't believe her, but chose not to force her. "I'm looking for Roman, as for Natasha—"

"Can you not hurt her too much? I understood her point. You're handsome, and has been her friend with her for years. It's quite normal that she fell for you. You're hard to resist."

"Your sympathy is pathetic, you know that? She'd have killed you if I didn't arrive on time. She was planning to send you out of the country and get you and Roman married," Cassian explained like he was narrating it to someone.

"It's me being an understanding lady." She rested her arms on his shoulder. "I don't blame her for falling. Your face alone is enough to make a girl we—"

Her eyes widened when she realized what she was about to say. "I..."

"My little girl just told a lethal truth." He cupped her ass, parting the two cheeks apart and circled his finger.

"It was a slip—"

"Of my tongue," he smirked, pulling her closer to him. Her waist rested on his abdomen, and her cheeks heated when she felt his hardness. "Destroying your greedy cunt."

Lalissa's cheeks reddened that she didn't realize when she started grinding her hips down his hardened rock.

"You can never take a slip?"

"Never," he confessed, caressing her collarbone with his tongue. "Not when you're my unnerving curse."

"Concerning Natasha, she'll crawl out of her shell when she receives the surprise I planned for her."

"What surprise?" She asked, moving her hips.

"That's why there's a surprise." He bit her neck.

Lalissa's breath hitched.

"Let's play truth or truth, no lie," Cassian suddenly suggested. "I'll ask you any question and you'll have to answer."

Lalissa's hip movement stopped, and she wondered why he suggested the game out of the blue. But, maybe this is her opportunity to find out about him.

"Three questions?" he added, releasing her neck and ass.

"Sure," Lalissa agreed. "You'll answer any question I want?"

"Ask me anything you want, I'll answer," Cassian nodded. "I'll go first."

Lalissa gave him the go-ahead sign.

Pausing for a few seconds, he asked. "Is there anything that happened to you as a child?"

Lalissa first paused, her face going down, as she stared at the reflection of Cassian and her.

She inhaled deeply, "When I was four, I had gone to a friend's birthday party," her voice was barely above a whisper. "Upon returning, I was shocked to see lots of people in our house. Including the emergency car. My mom was crying, and I got scared. Really scared. I started asking around, but they all kept quiet, until a woman decided to speak up. She said, 'Your father had an accident. He couldn't make it, and—he's dead'" she quoted the exact way the woman had broken the news to her.

"My Dad and I were close. I couldn't process the news at first. Then I asked mum, but she couldn't reply," she sniffled, looking up to him with a soft smile. "That's the first and last painful story that happened to me. Then as a child, and now...I still miss him sometimes. If he were here, then I'm sure everything will be okay. He knew how to make the best out of every situation. He's the best."

Cassian joined their hands together inside the water. "There are some wishes beyond our control." He leaned forward to peck her forehead. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's fine. Guess I'm missing him."

"Do you feel something wrong about his death? Maybe he's not dead—"

"No, you're trying to give me false hope now," She chuckled bitterly. "I saw his body. I was asked to recognize it. He wore his favorite watch that day, and his shoes were the same. Though, I wasn't allowed to see his face."

"So you didn't see his face?"

She nodded. "Mom, the doctors, and morticians present said the accident badly destroyed his face. If I had seen it back then, I'd be traumatized by now."

Cassian gave her a small smile, "Your turn."

"You've never mentioned your parents—"

"They're dead. Died when I was six," he replied truthfully, rubbing their joined hands.

"I'm so sorry. Guess we both have a sad past," she whispered, sympathetically. "Accident, sickness—"

"Mom was bitten by a snake, and couldn't survive the poison. Dad was arrested. He couldn't survive the prison torture, so he died."

Lalissa's eyes turned pitiful as she stared at him. She could see the sadness in his eyes, and felt it in his words as he spoke about his parents. No strong doubt he loved them so much.

For the first time, she's seeing a different Cassian. Not the CEO type he poses, but a soft broken boy who has a haunting past and hasn't healed from it.

"Is that why you're scared of darkness?" She asked slowly. "I noticed it at that factory, and I overheard Natasha mentioning it to Roman."

"I'm not scared of it, Lissa." He said, and Lalissa felt the denial in his voice. Not plain denial but refusing to accept the truth. "My eyes are photophobic to lights, and the darkness—it makes me uncomfortable."

"I'm sure something must have triggered the discomfort. No one gets too uncomfortable that they can't function properly. It's tied to a traumatic experience. What happened to your eyes?"

Cassian unlocked their hands, and pulled her closer to his chest.

He ran his thumb along her lower lip, and rested his jaw on her shoulder. "I said only three questions."

"But—" she stretched, surprised. "That was my last question."

"Your first two questions were about my parents, and the last one about me."

"You know I'm so curious about you, and each answer you gave leads to another question," her brow knitted together.

Cassian shrugged. "You should have used your chance wisely."

She slapped his shoulder. "I'll still get my answers one day."

Cassian smiled, but he didn't reply.

Lalissa's brain ticked at something. "Why did you ask about my Dad?"

"It's late. You'll catch a cold if you stay longer in this water."

She shook her head, and hugged him. "I want to stay here with you for some time. Mum is back. I don't know how often we'll get moments like this."

Cassian caressed her hair, their warmth making the water soothing and relaxing around them.

His eyes soon darkened, as he recalled Lalissa's words.

So, she didn't see her father's face?

From the shadows, a pair of eerie cold, and dangerous eyes locked on them.

The person looked away, and typed a text.

~Put the shipments on hold. I'll send a name. I need detailed details. Twenty-four hours.