Chapter 32: Kix’s Assistant
JADE:
For the next few second, Mr. Luhan and I did not speak. We only eyed each other from the doorway.
“Miss Jade, if there’s anything you needed to bring, please fetch it. We’ll have to leave in about twelve minutes.”
“B-But,” I protested, “I didn’t expect this at all. Where are you taking me?”
“I’ll explain everything along the way. Please come with us. We really have a very tight schedule to follow.”
“But what if I don’t want to co-”
“Then, I will be fired, or worse, the alpha will demote me from the pack,” Mr. Luhan said in a matter-of-fact tone.
At the mention of the words ‘alpha’ and ‘pack,’ I started to understand more clearly who Mr. Luhan was. If he was really who I think he was, I needed to hurry…
“Um, Liam, sorry, but I needed to go now. I forgot I had an appointment with, um, Mr. Luhan here,” I shouted while running to my cabinet and fetching a jacket and my purse with me.
“Alright, but can we talk later, Jade?”
“Um, I’m not sure if we can, Liam. I don’t know what time the ball would end,” I replied to his request.
“Don’t worry. I’ll come see you tonight, Jade, no matter what happens.”
“Well, okay,” I said absentmindedly at this point.
I was about to get out of my room shortly after Liam went back to his. Before I did, I grabbed the red shoes on my rack and slipped it on.
“Alright,” I declared to Mr. Luhan. “I’m ready now. Lead the way.”
I was waiting for his minions to come join us at this point as we go down the staircase. Wasn’t that how they had done it before when they kidnapped me?
I remember that time so vividly. I was taken forcibly at the dead of the night in front of Kix’s parents…
At that time, I thought I was going to die. I thought Kix’s parents were part of a mafia group who’d kill their only son’s lover for mere sport…
I didn’t know they can be much worse. For the first time, I learned they were descendants from pure-bred lycans. They didn’t want someone like me to soil their rare lineage…
They threatened to kill my mom and dad if I don’t let go of their son. In fact, they could kill their enemies with their bare hands if they wanted to.
I thought I was fortunate enough to have kept my own and my family’s necks that day. I didn’t know though that everything will still tumble down so gravely for me despite keeping my promise to stay away from Kix from then on…
Thus, as soon as Mr. Luhan and I got inside the car, I began to plead.
“Mr. Luhan, sir, I know you are holding my mom and dad hostage. Please let them go… I swear I wasn’t going to give Kix a second chance, so please let my family go…”
“Woah, woah, hold it right there, Miss Jade. What do you mean we are holding your family hostage?”
I looked up at Mr. Luhan’s surprised face, and I realized something must be wrong…
“That’s good! You didn’t kidnap my mom and dad this time, right? I’ll do whatever Mr. and Mrs. Sarmiento want. Just please don’t touch my family.”
“Wait, Miss Jade, first of all, Mr. and Mrs. Sarmiento, Sir Kix’s parents, are already dead. Second, we had never planned to kidnap anyone ever from the very start. I think this had been a grave misunderstanding.”
I looked intently at his face. It didn’t look like he was lying.
“Then where are you taking me, and why did you come to pick me up without warning?”
He sighed heavily. “I specifically reminded Sir Kix to tell you, but I think he didn’t have the courage to talk to you these days… Anyway, like I said earlier, I’m here to prepare you for the ball tonight. Sir Kix said we needed to make sure you’re ready. He’ll come pick you up at six after we’re done.”
“I-Is it true? You’re really not going to torture me or my family? Y-You aren’t here to make me give up on Kix?”
“What? No! I’m here because the alpha asked me to treat you well. We’ll be going to the spa first. You need to receive some skin treatments. After that, we’ll head to the salon for your hair and make-up, and then to the shopping mall to get your clothes and shoes.”
“W-What? You’re really just going to prepare me for the ball?”
“Yes, as per the alpha’s instruction.”
“And by alpha, you mean -?”
“I mean my boss, Sir Francisco Sarmiento. He is now the heir to the Luna Alba Pack and our one and only certified alpha.”
My jaw dropped. So Kix was not only the successor of his family’s business now, but he was also promoted as the alpha? Just when did it all happen?
“First of all, you can just call me Edril. The alpha’s parents died a year ago in a car accident. Since then, he inherited the business and the title of successor to our pack. I had just been promoted to this position too, and I really didn’t want to lose this job. So, Miss Jade, please don’t say anything like that… You must have a really bad impression of us, but I assure you we aren’t hooligans.”
“Just werewolves, right,” I muttered under my breath.
“Um… yes… May I ask you something, Miss Jade? It doesn’t seem like you are particularly fond of our kind… Did something happen?”
“Let’s just say I had a rough time with them.” I started to smile towards Mr. Luhan – Edril, I mean - and abruptly changed the subject. “So you mentioned going shopping with me?”
“Yes, for a dress and shoes,” he replied. He was still eyeing me with a concerned look in his eyes.
As Kix’s assistant, he looked like a very capable man. I feel that Kix would be in good hands.
“You don’t need to buy me shoes. I am already wearing them.” I pointed to the red shoes in my feet. “I’ll wear this. It’s got a lot of sentimental value.”
I’m going to that ball for Marian, not for myself after all, so I needed all the help I can get from her today.
“As you wish then... Let’s go to the spa center first.”
Just as I thought, Edril was a smart person. We talked about the details of the day. He asked about my preference and my course. There were many things we talked about as we went along the itineraries we had for today. It was as if I was chatting with an old friend.
“Miss Jade, I know I don’t have the right to say this, but Alpha Kix, he hasn’t forgotten about you since your high school days… You said earlier you had no plans of getting back together with him, but won’t you reconsider it?”
We had already gotten over the schedule for the day. I had luxurious skin treatments at the spa, my hair and make-up was done, and I purchased a red party dress that goes well with my shoes and my looks from a shopping mall affiliated with Kix’s business. We were all set and on the way to meet Kix when Edril asked me that question.
I clasped the golden necklace against my throat. This morning, I accepted Liam’s confession of love. I was already his girlfriend, and I had no plans of going against that promise.
“Kix and I, we used to love each other… But many things have happened between us that couldn’t be changed…”
“Can time not even erase what has been done?”
“No… Some things could never fade away even with time,” I replied back.
The look in Edril’s face showed that he still had a lot of questions for me, but we have already arrived at our destination.
As soon as the car stopped, I turned to Kix’s assistance.
“Please watch over Kix. He still has a lot to learn, but I’m sure he will be a great leader.”
That’s right. Kix wasn’t such a bad person… Maybe it was just the circumstances between us that were wrong from the start…
