Chapter 12: Stay Away
Riley has been asking Jake from time to time until they reach his condo or more like a freaking rich and huge condo for royalties like them but he didn't answer her even just one of her questions. He just smiled at her.
If Madame Lacey finds out that I'm with Jake, I'm double dead and fired on my job.
"I know what you're thinking." At last, Jake speaked. "Afraid of mom that she'll fire you when she finds out about this?"
"Could you just please take me back from the mansion? I don't know what's going on and I don't want any trouble. I'm here to work for my grandmother and serve you my Masters as long as I can. Not a toy that you can play with." she said straight to his face.
Jake suddenly felt guilty. "I'm sorry. But don't worry, mom won't fire you. Not in my watch." Jake assured her and pulled her inside his condo.
"This is gonna be your home for a week."
Riley gulped.
Oh boy.
"W-Why? Why are you doing this?"
He faced her. "Sorry to put you into our plan. But I am assured that this plan will work real good. And hey, I'll give you a high income for your stay here for a week. Just trust me, okay?"
It's an opportunity, Riley. For your grandmother! She was convincing herself in her mind.
"You mean all of you four?"
He chuckled. "Yeah."
She sighed. "Fine. So, Master Jake, what would you want me to do since I'm staying here in your condo?"
Jake shook his head and mentioned his hand on the sofa. "Nothing. Just sit back, relax and feel at home. You're a maid in the mansion, right? Now, I'm going to treat you like a princess here. All my things and foods inside this condo are yours also so don't hesitate to use or eat anything. You don't need my permission to do so, okay?"
Riley nodded. She was not in herself at the moment.
"Uhm, I see."
He patted her head and walked straight to his kitchen to find something to eat. While she followed him and sat on the island counter.
"Master Jake?" She called his attention but he just ignored her.
"Master Jake?" She called him again. But he still acted like he didn't heard her.
"Uhm, Master?"
No reply.
She sighed. "Hey, Master Jake?"
Still no reply.
Tsk. "Jake!"
"Yes?" He faced her with a goofy smile.
Huh, unbelievable.
Riley shook her head many times on how she realised that he didn't want to be called 'Master'. Just his name.
"I'm calling you many times but you act like you didn't hear me."
Jake smirked and took the one pack of sliced bread to the island counter then he looked for a dressing inside the fridge. When he found a can of peanut butter, he placed it beside the sliced bread.
"I told you, I hate to be called 'Master' especially when you're in my territory." He caged her between his arms while she's sitting on the island counter then he leaned in closer to her face, making her gulp.
"J-Jake, distance please."
A few seconds passed of making eye contact with her before he looked away and softly pinched her cheeks.
"You're too cute when you blushed."
She touched her cheeks. This is embarrassing.
"C'mon, I'm just kidding." He held her hand and guided her towards the chair and they ate the slices of bread together.
RILEY WAS bored the next day while Jake had something important to do so he had to leave the condo. She heard a doorbell so she walked towards the door and looked to the peephole to see who's outside.
Jake warned her not to open the door to any strangers but this one is not. It's his father.
A smile drew to her lips as she opened the door and welcomed Jake's father named James. "Good morning, sir." She slightly bowed.
The man in the middle age nodded and signalled his bodyguards to leave them. She motioned her hand inside to invite him to come in.
"I don't want to beat around the bush since I'm a very busy business man and I want to get straight to the point that's why I'm here." The man was serious as hell, making her more nervous.
She gulped many times. "W-What can I do for you, s-sir?"
The man's emotionless eyes stared at her. "Stay away from my son."
She stilled.
"Don't you ever get close to him. Stay away as far as you can be so you won't be a hindrance to our plans. If that includes being a maid, then I will tell Lacey to fire you."
N-No!
Riley immediately went down on her knees and pleaded without any hesitation. She pressed her palms together.
"Please, sir. Please don't do this. I'm begging you, sir. I only work for my grandmother. She had a severe illness and I'm the only one she had so I can't lose her. Please, sir. Have mercy on me." She keeps on chanting not to fire her and begging.
The man sighed.
"My decision is final. You have to stay away from this family. But in return, I will give you five million to stay away from my son, Lacey and her sons. How's that?"
Five million?! Holy crap that's a big load of money!
She's speechless. She didn't know what to think.
"So? What do you say, Ms. Gomez? Deal?"
She bit her lower lip and deeply sighed before she gave her final answer.
HOON WAS pissed all day when he arrived at his condo the fact that he didn't won the bet they played.
~Flashback~
"So this is what we're going to do. Listen up, morons." Jake commanded. "We will play a game and this game has a prize if the two of us won this."
Hoon, Ethan and Jay's faces lift up and listen to Jake's instructions about this game attentively. They seem kinda excited.
"And what's the prize?" Hoon can't help but ask him.
Jake smirked. "It's not 'what' it's 'who'. And to answer your question my dear brother, our prize is Riley."
The three of them widened their eyes to what they heard.
"So you mean to say we're using Riley?" Jay asked, irritated.
"Kinda? But not really. In return, we will help her finances for her ill grandmother. It's like give and take, Jay. Relax. We're not using her. She will help us and we will help her. Get it?" Jake explained. "We will take her away from the mansion for a while. It's like we're giving her a vacation. And when the two of us four won, they will have her for a week. The first winner will have her first and then followed by the second winner."
Ethan nodded numeral times and clapped his hands twice. "Okay. Let's start this game."
"Alright! I will explain it to you guys." Jake explained to them carefully the mechanics of the game so they could understand it.
"Easy!" Hoon exclaimed.
And minutes later, they're starting the game and Ethan was the first one who loses versus to Jake.
"Too bad. You will not have Riley for a week. Enjoy being alone in your condo, bud." Hoon teased.
Ethan pouted and crossed his arms over his shoulder and acted like a kid that didn't give a lollipop.
Hoon was grinning ear to ear like he's predicting that he will win the game they are playing.
"I bet you'll lose." Ethan said. Referring to Hoon who's run out of bishop and his queen is the next target of his opponent which is Jay.
"As if I will let that happen." Hoon assured.
Meanwhile, Jay was silent and serious the whole game. He's deeply focused and determined to win.
"Checkmate!" Jake shouted after a long minute.
"Ahh, that's easy peasy." Jay murmured.
"Argh! No! Where's the fun in that? Jay's a pro in the chess department and so is Jake! This is unfair! Okay, let's do figure skating this time so I could--"
"Hep-hep!" Ethan called out. "Professional or not, let's just accept the fact that we lose, bud." He tapped his shoulder and gave him a small smile then he shrugged.
Hoon sighed and pulled his hair backwards.
"Let's start the plan tomorrow morning. I'm the first winner so I will have Riley for a week." Jake said. "Then Jay, you will have her next week. Capiche?"
"Whatever you say, smart head." Jay replied.
~End of flashback~
Hoon grabbed his phone from his pocket when he heard it ring.
"What do you want?" He asked. His father was on the other line.
"Son, guess what!" He looks happy. "James went to his son's condo and called your mother to fire the maiden in the mansion!"
"Who's the maid?"
"I think her name is R-Riley?"
His eyes widened. "What?! Why would he do that?!" He was fuming mad. "Where's she?!"
His father still managed to chuckle. "Relax, son. James has something for her in return. He gave her five million just to stay away from you all."
Shit!
He ended the call and ran towards his car to go to Jake's condo. Then he called Jake, Ethan and Jay to remind them what's happening.
Please don't believe them, Riley. They're just tricking you. Please don't leave us.
~amph1trite~