#LOVE_OVER_BLOOD
© Sir Zach
EPISODE 10
Aisha packed some stuffs for their overnight stay at the ancestral mansion. She also helped Ethan chose an appropriate outfit. She was afraid that Ethan might bring his tailored business suits instead.
“Don’t bring your work stuffs along. This should be a family mini-vacation!” Aisha demanded while Ethan shrugged. Also, Aisha checked his son’s bagpack. At least Eli knew the things he nee-ded for the overnight stay.
“Hmmm.. did we forget anything?” She asked.
“I guess we have everything.” Ethan answered.
Eli rushed in the car while Ethan followed. To Ethan’s surprise, Aisha rushed to his side and placed her hands into his. Ethan looked at her in awe.
“Is there’s something wrong?” He asked her.
“I just want to hold my husband.. ” she smiled sheepishly. So then Ethan held her ti-ght as they heed towards the car.
They were able to reach the ancestral mansion at around 6pm. Master Omni was more than delightful for their arrival. Butler Mo told him to wait inside but he insisted to stay outside and wait for them. He is excited to see his grandkids. Surprisingly, he was also looking forward to seeing the br@nd new Stacy.
“Grand paps!” Eli rushed to greet his grandpa.
“Eli,my favorite great grandson!” They embr@ced each other. Master Omni saw Ethan and Stacy holding hands together as they approach him.
“Grandpa, ” it was ethan.
“Nice to see you healthy old man!” She greeted. Master Omni smiled.
“Of course I have to be healthy to be able to see my future great grandkids!” He yelp. Aisha laughed with him. Also, Aisha bought another herbal green tea for the old man which made him happy even more.
“Common, let’s go inside. Dinner is ready.” Master omni led the way.
The dinner was a bit noisy. They’ve been laughing at Master Omni’s silly stories when he was a teenager. Also, Eli kept telling stories about his school’s achievements and how his mom read him stories every night. He also boast how his mother cooks delicious stuffs. Then Eli spoke of how sad he was when his mom started working and coming home late every night but his dad was there to read him the story whenever his mother wasn’t around. He was his superhero. Everyone was getting their fair share on Eli’s life.
“I never knew Stacy can cook well.. ” Master Omni jokingly said.
“Don’t worry grand pa, I’ll let you try my skills in cooking tomorrow.” Aisha answered.
“Are you sure it’s edible? I’m not going to die early, I hope.” He teased Aisha. Ethan suddenly laugh when he remembered something. The 3 stared at him.
” grandpa, don’t tease her like that. Coz the last time I teased her, I was not able to eat dinner because she ate the whole roasted chicken!” The 3 guys laughed while Aisha was pouting in a corner.
“Whose fault was that?” She mumbled..
“But I am so happy to hear that you’ve been taking care of Eli for the past months. You never had time for your family before as far as I remember.” Master Omni smiled.
“Well I guess people change.. ” she hesitantly answered.
“I don’t believe in a sudden change. People doesn’t change overnight. I believe in innate character. One can never fake one’s character.” Master Omni stated.
“But it could also be a lie. What if everything is fake?” Aisha frowned unconsciously. Ethan and master Omni looked at each other as if they un-derstood.
“In my own opinion, one can never fake personality, however, the person can be..” Master Omni continued after drinking his wine.
Aisha was stunned for a while and stared at the old man. She didn’t know how to react. She can sense something in his statement but it can’t be that he discovered her lies and pretentions because no one knows about her twin sister. Maybe she was just overreacting.she shrugged it off as She smiled nervously.
After the dinner, Aisha was cleaning the table when her phone suddenly rang. She saw it was kian so she answered it.
“Hello kian? Why did you call?” Ethan heard her but He averted his eyes on the magazine that he was holding.
“What? They fired you? For no reason? That’s not fair! Have you asked the manager? Oh I see. Let me see what I can do then,okay? Bye kian.” Aisha was upset so she tried to dial larry’s number. But the only answer she got was that it’s an order and its impossible to be revoked. She averted her eyes to Ethan who was busy reading a magazine while sitting on the couch. She approached him with a frustrated face.
“Ethan, is it you? Were you the one who fired Kian?” She tried to hold back her anger.
“What if I did? What is it to you?” He indifferently answered.
“Ethan that’s not fair! What did he do to deserve your judgment?! She yelled.
“Do I nee-d to have a reason to do what I want to do? It’s my company anyway..”
Aisha snatch the magazine and threw it on the floor.
“Firing your employees because you just want to without any reason is not reasonable at all! You can’t fire him. Whether you like it or not he will not leave the company!” She yelled.
“I can do anything I want and you cannot do anything about that.” He yelled back.
“You owned the company but I am the chief Manager! Even if that’s just a title,still, it is un-der my name! So I will decide whether to let go of my employees or not!”
“Employees? Are you sure he is just an employee to you? Am i right to as-sume that you have return to your old ways? Huh!”
“We are not what you think Ethan! We are just merely co workers!”
“Co-worker? A co-worker who always sent you home? A co-worker who always invites you out? Or did you lower your standards and now you’re hitting on a salesman now?!” He was shocked when Stacy slapped him. She was quivering with anger but she tried to calm herself.
“You told me I have to work as a saleslady to know the basic things that I nee-ded to be a successful chief manager. I think you should also be in my current situation so you will un-derstand how I am feeling towards my workmates. I am so disappointed in you!” With that she climbed the stairs going to their bedroom but she halted for a minute then she faced him.
“I wont allow you to impose your ways any longer. From now on, I will do it my way!”
Ethan roared in frustration so he kicked the sofa angrily. After a while, Master Omni approached Ethan since he heard them quareling earlier.
“Ethan, She has a point if you will consider our work ethics regulation. But you should be honest and tell her the main reason why..”
“It’s as if she will un-derstand..”
“If she was really the person you told me she is right now, I believe she will un-derstand. Don’t keep her from the blind sp-ot.” Master Omni tapped his shoulder and headed to his room.
______
“They are fighting, again.” Eli sadly hu-gs master Omni. He overheard his parent’s fighting earlier so he went to his grandpa’s room. Aisha was about to knock at Master Omni’s room but she suddenly paused when she heard Eli spoke.
She was looking for Eli everywhere since He is not in his room. She is actually planning to sleep with him tonight because she is still mad at Ethan.
“What if Mom leaves us, again?” she heard Eli. She felt guilty within. She should have waited for Ethan in their room before she approached him about Kian. She smacks her forehead when she realized it.
“That will never happen, sweetheart.” Master Omni tou-ched his back then Eli leaned at the old man’s . “Your mom loves you so much, that I know.” He comforted Eli. After a while, Eli doze off to sleep.
Aisha knocks on the door. she enters when the old man spoke. she sat beside the old man as she reached to Eli’s forehead regrettably.
“He came to my room when he heard you two fighting. He was afraid that you might leave him. I hope you un-derstand how he feels about it. He was always distant to you in the past. But I can see now that he grew to love you.” Master Omni explained.
“I’m sorry grandpa, I should have not let Eli heard about it. I was so upset that I was not able to hold it in.”
“I un-derstand Stacy,” he taps her shoulder.
“It’s just that I don’t get him at all. I just want him to trust me.” She frowned.
“Child, Trust must be earned. I really don’t want to tell you this but I guess you nee-d to see this in order for you to un-derstand where he’s coming from.” Master Omni places Eli on his bed as he reach a magazine lying on his table. He handed her the magazine. Aisha crease a brow. She had never read magazines at all.
An article caught Aisha’s attention when she held the magazine, It’s entitled: “Wife of a great CEO sp-otted with another guy”. She turned the pages to read the article. She gasps. Her sister has dated some other guys before, worst, it’s not just once but a lot of times. No wonder Ethan was so upset about Kian.
“I-I didn’t know —-” she said regretful. Now she un-derstands why Eli and Ethan was upset.
“But now you know,” Master Omni smiled at her. “Let Eli sleep here for tonight. As for you, go and talk to your husband. Don’t let the sun rise before settling your matters.” He encouraged.
“Thank you, grandpa.” She hu-gs him and went out of the room.
Aisha found Ethan at the seaside. He is sitting alone while staring at the bonfire. He was in de-ep thought. She went near him and handed him a cu-p of coffee. Ethan look at her and takes the coffee in her hands silently. Aisha smiled. She then wraps the blanket around Ethan since he is not wearing any jacket then she sat beside him. they were silent for a few minutes.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier. I should have not done it.” She apologized but She didn’t hear any response from Ethan.
“I won’t blame you if you hate me that much and I don’t know if I still have the right to say this but I just want you to trust me. I, I have been unfaithful in the past and I know I cannot undo all the hurts I caused you, and to Eli as well. But—- I, I …. all I can think of right now is to be a good wife and a better mother.” She wipes the tear that escaped her eyes. silence fell for a minute or so.
“I also want to apologize for what I’ve said. I should have separated my work and my personal life. I know you are doing your best to be a good mom to Eli, I should have trust you then,” they look at each other. Aisha cannot hide her tears anymore so she let it flow. She sobs silently. Ethan raised his hands to wipe her tears.
“I’m sorry,” then he ki-ssed her. Her heart suddenly skips a beat, then she ki-ssed him back. They’ve lost track of time enjoying each other’s li-ps.
The image of her sister Stacy pops into her mind. Her mind wants to stop Ethan’s advances but her heart and body wanted more, more of Ethan. She’s been wanting to ki-ss him for a long time but whenever the image of her sister pops up, she blocks those ki-sses. This time, she just want to follow her heart. Is she falling in love with him? or does she love him already? She denied that cause. No! she’s just doing this for her sister, she justified.
They stop when they nee-ded to catch their breaths. Ethan’s head bend over to touch her forehead as they smile at each other..
“I love you,” Ethan said as he held her cheek.
“I love you too,” she answered wholeheartedly. Ethan smiled. He pulled her closer and embr@ce her. Aisha rests her head in his and enjoying the warmth of his embr@ce. After a while she dozes off.
Master Omni was in the Veranda watching them from a far. He smiles from ear to ear at the sight of the two lovebirds at the seaside. He took his phone in his pocket and dialed the number of his private investigator.
“Did you find her? Okay, watch her closely and report everything to me. And what about the other ignment I told you? Were you able to gather all the data. Okay, send them to me as soon as you completed it.” After he hung up, he walked back to his room and laid down beside Eli.
“I think tomorrow will be good day!” he mumbled to himself.
The next morning, Aisha woke up early to prepare breakfast for everyone. She is so happy and alive. She didn’t know why. She held her li-ps when she remembered what happened last night. She wiggles. The kitchen staffs notice her blooming face so they teases her. She blus-hingly avoided the topic.
Ethan woke up but he can’t see Aisha everywhere. He took a shower and decided to go to the kitchen. He then saw Aisha having fun with the kitchen staffs while preparing for breakfast. He can see her smiling most of the time. she looks so beautiful. He smiled when he remembered what happen last night and the thought of her saying I love you made his heart flutter. He went near her and embr@ces her behind. Aisha got surprise for a second.
“Good morning!” Ethan ki-ssed her cheek. She smiled then faced him. she smooched his li-ps.
“Good morning” she answered back.
“Ah! What an ugly sight to start my morning!” Master Omni jokes. He is holding Eli’s hand. They both look at him and greeted him with their smiles.
“good morning sweetheart!” Aisha smiled at her son.
“Mom! Dad!” Eli run towards them then hu-gs them both. Ethan carried him then they both ki-ss him.
“You’re not fighting anymore?” he innocently asked. “Yehey!” he is so happy.
“Breakfast is almost ready. Can you help mommy to prepare the table?”
“Yes!” Eli excitedly went to the dining table and prepared their plates.
Their last day at the ancestral mansion was a memorable one. They explored the mansion, played hide and seek in the maze and even went hunting. The four of them enjoyed horse riding race but Master Omni lost because he was with Eli. They ended up their fun with grilling barbeque.
While waiting for the time to go back to the central city, Aisha went at the back yard garden. She’s busy removing the dead plants when Master Omni approaches her.
“I didn’t know you love flowers too, Stacy.” He asked.
“It’s not that I love them. I was able to learn how to take care of them because my father loves his garden as well. He was so busy that he can’t even have time to clean it so I didn’t have a choice but do it for him.” she laughs when she remembered the first time she cleaned her father’s beloved garden. Demetrius almost lost his sanity when he saw the plants that was lying on the ground.
“Oh is that so, I never knew Robert keeps a garden for himself?” the old man answered. Aisha was shocked for a second. She forgot about Robert. She was thinking about her father Demetrius when she spoke earlier.
“Ah,” she laughs nervously. “Y-yeah. There’s a mini garden where mom Helen keeps her favorite flowers too.” She avoided his eyes.
“oh I see. by the way, Ethan is looking for you. It’s about time to go home now.” with that Master Omni went back inside the mansion. She sighs in relief.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 11