Chapter 7: The banquet
"But we don’t have a cat here," Jark said, confused, cause he knows everything happening in the mansion.
"Oh, maybe there happens to be a cat and you are not aware of it."
"But..." Just then, a knock interrupted Jark halfway. "I will go check on the door."
"No, I will check on it. Maybe it’s the cat that returned again." Kathe tried to rush to the door, fearing that it must be Rhea that returned, but Jark reached the door before she did, and when the door was opened, it turned out to be Thompson, and Jark turned to look at Kathe with eyes that said, "Is this the cat?"
"Good evening, ma’am," Thompson greeted. Kathe just waved her hands at him. She does not like him too; he was the guy that dragged her to the altar to get married to Jark. She left them alone to enjoy their privacy. "Sir, this is your medication." He gave the drugs to Jark in a file in a way that no one would suspect.
Jark collected the drugs. He was about to go in when he remembered something. "Thank you, and one more thing, please help me check if we have a stray cat around."
Thompson turned to look at him, confused. "A stray cat around? I’m not sure we have a strange cat around."
"Just check it out," Jark said before closing the door.
Thompson turned and left, confused. Behind the shadow stood Rhea. She could not hear what they were saying, but Jark was shirtless, left only with shorts, and it seems from what Kathe told her, they really had a shower together. She felt an ironic taste in her mouth. Out of anger, she had bitten her side cheek. She didn’t spit it out, and she turned and left in anger.
Three days after, the day for the banquet finally arrived. The mansion was filled with people coming in and out decorating it. The old lady planned the banquet in a grand style. The old lady was so energetic and happy that she helped supervise everyone working, and it really made Kathe feel guilty.
"Don’t you feel guilty?" Kathe asked Jark the moment she stepped into the room.
"About what?" he asked back, still focused on the files on the table.
"About lying to your grandmother. She’s really happy for us. I feel guilty knowing that everything here is fake." Disappointment was all written on her face as she spoke.
"I know I’m lying to her, but at least I can see my grandmother smiling. That’s all that matters to me," he spoke thoughtfully.
Kathe walked close to him. "She will be hurt eventually, but why didn’t you try getting married for real?"
His eyes turned cold immediately.
"I can’t marry for real." His response made Kathe more curious.
"Why?" she asked as she shifted closer to him.
"My world is dangerous. It’s full of danger. I have a lot of enemies around," he replied, staring into space, lost in thought.
"If your world is full of danger, what will happen to me then?" she asked, staring into his face, which was lost in thought.
Jark paused in shock. He had been expecting such a question, but the way she asked stirred something in him, a desire to protect her that he didn’t even notice. He turned slowly to face her, this time their eyes meeting each other. "I promise to protect you, no matter the cost." Those words flowed from his mouth like a simple sentence, but it carried traces of responsibility as they stared into each other’s eyes.
"Hummmhummm." The old lady faked a cough to bring them back to the present.
"Grandma!" they both called, startled.
"I came to call Kathe to get dressed when I found your door opened, and I interrupted your romantic moment." She gave them both a childish wink and continued, "I’m very sorry. I would have left you guys to your romantic moment, but you need to come get ready, Kathe."
Kathe was already red from embarrassment, but Jark kept a straight face, though his ears were red from embarrassment. "What are you saying? Come with me." The old lady dragged Kathe away from the room with a teasing smile, leaving Jark alone in the room. Immediately the door shut, Jark’s lips curled up in a smile unknown to him.
Kathe was so stressed out. The old lady might be old, but she was so energetic. She made Kathe try different dresses until the perfect one. Her hair was made into a messy bun with curls dropping down. The makeup was not too much on her; rather, it reflected her natural beauty.
"You look beautiful, ma’am," the makeup artist complimented her with a smile.
"Thank you very much." Kathe had to agree that she was indeed beautiful.
The banquet hall was now filled with people all over. The media were all over, clicking their cameras. The pianist played a soft melodic tune. The first person to arrive was the old lady. The moment she walked down the stairs, everyone stopped what they were doing. She was old, but you could see how elegant she was, showing that she was a noble woman. The moment she stepped on the final stair, she was immediately crowded with people, cameras clicking on her to capture the moment.
The second person to arrive was Shashe, her dress showcasing their wealth, her chin lifted up. The moment she stepped down, all the women in her circle rushed to her side, complimenting her.
The third person to arrive at the stairs was Jark. In his expensive grey shirt, his shirt’s upper buttons were loosened, exposing his seductive tattooed chest, his hair wet and curly, his face just like that of a Greek god, so handsome, making all the young ladies blush at the sight of him, wishing he could spare them a glance. But his presence radiated coldness and scared people away from him. When he stepped down, he walked straight to his grandma’s side. The media didn’t miss the moment to capture the Greek god; some were planning to use his picture for their magazine cover.
Just then, everywhere became silent again as Rhea walked into the spotlight, her skin fair and delicate, reflecting a model’s face, her curves well displayed, her steps calculated. Whispers began to fill the air.
"Isn’t that Rhea, Jark’s childhood friend?" one of the young ladies whispered to her mother.
"Yes, that’s her. I never knew that she would eventually end up with Jark," her mother replied.
"Rhea is indeed more beautiful. I must say Jark has good eyes for good things," one of the young men there whispered to his friends.
"I must say she’s hot."
Rhea heard all the praise, which made her swell with happiness, but she was able to conceal her face by acting shy and timid. Her eyes wandered to Jark to see if he was looking at her, but to her disappointment, he was focused on his phone, which made the little smile on her face vanish for a second, but she quickly concealed it. She was happy that all the attention was on her. She quickly stepped down from the stairs and went to stand close to Jark, but still, he didn’t even spare her a glance, which made her angry. She couldn’t wait to see Kathe’s appearance.
"Who is she? Oh my goodness!"
"Isn’t she a goddess?" whispers began to flow again, forcing everyone to look up.
And there stood Kathe, her gown flowing down. Her dress wasn’t designed to derail her curves, but you could see how well-shaped she was. Immediately upon her arrival, Jark’s eyes were on her, watching her walk down.
Rhea turned her face to look at Jark and caught him staring at Kathe with a smile filled with adoration, making Rhea angry, folding her hands into fists. Jark didn’t even spare her a glance but kept staring at Kathe with a smile filled with admiration.
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