"Avriell, water please..."
Catching my breath, I sat down. We were at home and I just finished my workout. I used to do it but now I'm breathing like I will meet god. Clyden was so strict and obviously also went to the gym because he was so strong and it took him so long to get tired, which is why I couldn't match him. My whole body is tired while he seems to be just warming up.
"Here mommy, here. You okay?" Avriell looked at me so worried before turning her gaze to Clyden mad. "You're so bad to mommy! She was out of her breath!"
She gently patted his father's thigh as Clyden approached her. I heard Trina's soft laugh because of Avriell's attitude. Even me, I find it cute, defending me to her father even though she was a daddy's girl.
"You're dead. Your daughter doesn't want you anymore. You're going to pamper her and give her flowers every day again." Dan chuckled before going back by playing chess on his own.
He was distracted because of Avriell. I couldn't help but remember what Clyden told me that Avriell was angry when he first met her. He was so mad because he told everything he did to me and after that he apologized to her. Every day he brought her flowers and took her secretly away from Trina to talk until Clyden got my daughter's heart. It was good for Avriell because she was so understanding, she was so quick to understand things. As much as possible you will prove to her that you will fulfill your promise that you will never do it again and you are deserving, she will trust and forgive you.
"Just be your own business man." Clyden responded to Dan before kneeling a little to match Avriell's height. "I'm sorry for it but I need to do it baby, it was for your mom too because she needs to be totally fit."
Avriell pouted. "She will not die?"
I almost choked because of what Avriell said. Trina laughed so I threw the handkerchief I was using in my face before approaching Avriell to explain. I held her small hands and smiled.
"I'm okay, don't worry about me." I brush her hair softly. "You know me, if someone mistreats me I'm definitely the one who will be mad but as you can see, I am okay with it because your dad is telling the truth. That I need to work hard to have a total package body, okay ?"
She sighed and nodded afterwards. "Fine...but,"
"But?" waiting here patiently.
Instead of continuing she walks closer to her dad and gesturing to him to move her head closer to her so she can whisper. I looked at Clyden while having a question but he just nodded to our daughter when Avriell whispered what she wanted to tell him.
"What is it?" I looked at Avriell.
"I will go up with aunt Trina, I don't want to see you suffering here." She kissed me on my cheek before getting the hand of her aunt Trina and going upstairs.
Dan also followed the two going up so it was just the two of us left here.
"What did she whisper to you?" I asked him.
"She whispered it to me because she doesn't want you to know and yet you are asking me? You're destroying my parenting Maureen." A glimpse of a smile appeared on his face mocking my sentence as I always used to if he was doing what I don't want.
In irritation I was about to punch him on his back but I didn't expect that he would look back at me quickly. I put down my hand and stepped back, but my foot got out of balance because I stepped on something. I was about to go straight on the floor, fortunately Clyden moved quickly to reach my hand before my waist closed to him.
I was swallowed so much by the closeness of our two faces. I saw him sweating too, his sweat was gradually coming down from his forehead to his cheeks and to his neck. I don't even know if I'm still breathing because it seems like even the slightest movement will make my lips touch his lips. I can't see how he looks at my whole face, especially my lips that trigger me more.
"Clyden...." a shrill voice called Clyden's name.
We heard a woman talking behind my back and because of the panic, I took off his hand on my waist and stood up properly. I looked behind me to see who spoke. I was confused when I saw a woman, she was old, she seemed like she was the same age as my mother.
"M-mom..." Clyden spoke and came closer.
Mom? So this is his mother.
Clyden kisses his mom on his cheek. He was about to pull his mother to talk to her privately but his mom walked closer to me. She looked at me from head to toe before giving me a look I couldn't understand.
"So you are Maureen, you are so grateful that my son trusted you for our brand company. A great comeback of yours." She was still looking at my whole body.
I just nodded in response. She was still walking around me, I looked at Clyden, asking for help. His mom was like a police officer who was checking me but it seemed like he didn't even understand what his mom was doing to me. It was also obvious that he was surprised that his mother would come here.
"I like your beauty...." she stopped when she was already in front of me but she also turned her eyes to Clyden later. "So I understand why a lot back then was admiring you so much but I hope not all, it was hard to do your priority if a lot was obsessed with you."
Clyden was looking uncomfortable having his mom here. Me too because she saw us in that kind of situation.
"You know me even then? You look like you know about my fans." I walk towards her, having a confused look.
"You are the famous model here, how come that I don't know you? And you are the model I hate the most because the enemy of my son's company is promoted by you." She chuckled softly before going on the couch to have a seat. "It was just sad because you didn't take care of your career, you are so careless. I hope it will not happen to our brand, don't put it in the trash as you did to other brands back then okay?"
"Mom…." Clyden.
I couldn't help but to feel a little annoyed at what he said. "Are you aware that it was your son's carelessness too why all of this happened?"
She was stunned for a second and I noticed the movement of her cheek as if she was thinking of something to say but she couldn't. She obviously knows that. That was the time Clyden came to me and pulled me to the stairs.
"Go upstairs and don't go down unless I say. I will handle it." He said and gestured to me to go up but before I went up I asked him a question.
"Did your mom know that Avriell was your daughter?" I asked.
He nodded. "But they never met yet, why?"
"I was so sad for Avriell, what a nice grandmother she has..." I can't stop myself from shaking my head, thinking that she has a grandmother like that and a mother of mine that never asks about Avriell even though she knows that she has an existing granddaughter.
I went up as Clyden ordered, I didn't even look at his mom again because of the annoyance I was feeling. When I opened the door to Avriell's playing room I saw them teaching my daughter to play chess. Trina stood up and came to me like she was my daughter. Because Avriell was busy listening to Dan, who was teaching her some chess tricks.
"Finished?" Trina asked.
"No, Clyden's mom is downstairs so I'll go up here and so they can talk privately." I whispered because I didn't want Avriell to hear.
I don't want my daughter to go downstairs and greet her grandmother and then she will not be treated well. Just in case I really can't hold my patience.
"Downstairs?" Trina was about to leave the room to go downstairs when I stopped her. "Why? I will greet her, you don't know, maybe she will give me some money."
I shook my head. "Attitude, I don't think she will greet you back or give you money, she was not as kind as you think Clyden's mom is. The second reason why I went here, I don't want a fight. She was triggering my patience."
"Just like your mom," she slowly nodded with a gross expression. "But wait, does she know about your contract with her son?"
"I don't know," I answered with a shrug. " and I don't care if she knows or not, if she knows, she shouldn't have anything to complain about because it was Clyden's offer in the first place and her son was just paying for the action he did to me."
"That's my girl." she said proudly.
We were both turned silent when Avriell came over to pull Trina and me to play. Dan nodded at me before going out to give the three of us privacy. We stayed in Avriell's play room for a few hours before Dan came back to call us to come down because the lunch was ready. Dan lifted Avriell, it was obvious that they were already close.
"I'll keep an eye on that, what if he says something to Avriell? I don't have trust in that man yet." Trina whispered to me while we were slowly walking down, letting Dan and Avriell first.
"Come on Trina, he looks nice." I tried to convince her to not think bad, Dan was really so nice for me she just didn't see it. "Why? You don't like him?"
I pinched her waist, teasing her. "Come on, it was only the two of us."
"Stop it Maureen! Ugh! Never!" She screamed and made Avriell and Dan look at us. Trina goes down fast.
Dan looked at me confused about how Trina reacted but I just gave her a simple smile before getting Avriell to him when we were already at dining. I was fixing Avriell's chair when my attention caught Clyden wearing an apron and holding the dish that he obviously cooked.
"Does it taste good mother?" Dan teased her because she was wearing a girl apron.
"Do you want me to pour this all on you?" There was annoyance on Clyden's face.
I looked around and it seems like his mom is gone. It's good, I can eat nicely.
"Avriell, your dad was so rude to me." Dan asked my daughter for help.
"Dad, it's okay, you're cute on it." Avriell was looking at her dad with so much admiration. "I want to see you cooking too while wearing that but you didn't call me."
She acted sad because he didn't call her when he was cooking. After Clyden placed the dish he cooked, he approached Avriell and sat down.
"There is still next time baby, I promise we will cook together." He assured her.
Avriell nodded, the jealousy in my face came up and I didn't expect that Trina would notice it. I looked at her so mad when she kept pointing at my face while laughing. I think Dan saw it too because even him, he was refraining himself from laughing. He just got something to eat to avoid my eyes.
"I saw Maureen's face like this!" She even mocked my expression, which made me even more embarrassed. "Your mom is jealous, Avriell."
Avriell looked at me and her smiles turned into teasing. She hugged me on my waist. "With you of course, mommy."
I saw Avriell's hand secretly pinch her daddy's waist to agree on it.
"Y-Yeah," Clyden nodded before taking off his apron. "We can cook together...as a family."
Trina and Dan suddenly choked because of the last thing Clyden said. Even me, I felt uncomfortable about what he said. I didn't expect it from him. While all of us got awkward about the situation, Avriell was so happy that she even giggled and hid her face in my waist to hide the thrill she was feeling.
"L-Let's eat," Clyden said to get rid of the embarrassing atmosphere rounding us.
I just nodded and tried to forget it and started to get food. I gently squeezed Avriell's side so that she would stop looking at me with a teasing look. This was the first time we ate without any words coming up in our mouths. Maybe that's better so that we refrain ourselves to say anything that will make our situation more awkward.
After eating I volunteer to wash the dishes. Trina and Avriell also went upstairs, while Clyden and Dan were fixing the ones we used in the training. It didn't continue because Clyden's mom suddenly arrived here. Thanks to her.
"I have something to fix, I'll be back later." I heard Dan say goodbye to Clyden.
I didn't hear Clyden respond but he obviously agreed because I heard Dan's car drove away.
"Someone messaged you on your social media," I almost dropped the glass I was washing when I was shocked that he was already at my back.
I faced him. "Who?"
I'm not surprised that he knows if someone was messaging me because he has access to the phone he gave to me so he knows all. It's for my safety so I just let him, I don't have anything to hide either.
"Ruiz," He said directly. "He was inviting you to have a private talk."
I turned back and continued washing like nothing, trying to ignore what he said. "Just don't answer it."
"You will go." He announced that he doesn't care about my decision.
There was confusement on my face when I looked at him again because of what he said. "What? You will agree that I will meet him? Are you serious?"
"Yes." He nodded without hesitation. "Maybe he can say something that you can know about what Gezel is doing or preparing."
"But what if Gezel knows that we will meet? I know she will report it to the media again." I muttered.
"Don't worry, before you even go I will make sure that no one else is around the place where you will meet. It should be just him and you, no one else." he assured.
"So you're coming?"
"No, that was the last time your ex-fiance would see me. It will not happen again." He shook his head. "But you have me at your back, I will promise you that."
I nodded, agreeing with what he said.
"Just trust me, I won't put you in a situation where you are not safe as stated in the contract."