Chapter 23 - Tangled

AUTHOR'S NOTE

To all my readers:

Thank you for your understanding and support specially when I had to take a break from writing, I am happy to see that my novel has reached 20k views. I honestly wrote it on a whim as the idea just struck me one day.

It was quite a challenge since I haven't written a novel of some sort before and had to take notes on what was I doing to my characters. Let me know on the comments of what you think of this novel so far. Great feedback is always well appreciated.

Well, here's another update. Please enjoy :)

XOXO

RedPurpleOrange

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Aila slowly woke up and stretched her body, she felt more refreshed now after having taken a nap.

She turned around and found that Calvin fell asleep as well on the reclining chair beside her, still with his glasses on.

He was probably working on something and fell asleep.

Aila moved closer to observe him more. She noticed his thick, long lashes. His skin almost pore less. Every angle is photogenic, he looked like he came straight out of a magazine.

Sigh...I don't mind waking up to this face every day.

"I don't mind getting a wake-up kiss from my beautiful honey." Calvin said while his eyes still closed that made Aila jump.

"How long have you been awake?!" Aila asked reflexively.

"Awhile."

Aila blushed furiously having been caught staring at him.

"Do you enjoy making fun of me this much?" She said angrily.

"Oh, honey. I couldn't help it when you're so adorable."

"Whatever. Anyway, we should get going. I think I slept too long." Aila said while rolling her eyes and checked the time on her phone.

"Well, before that. There's something you need to see." Calvin said mischievously.

"???"

*****

"Mom!"

Aila didn't waste time and stormed home to find her mother.

The level of embarrassment she had when Calvin showed her the headlines earlier makes her want to dig a hole on the ground.

Not to mention her mother added another problem to her list. Now that the whole world basically knows she is Calvin's fiancée, how would they end their relationship amicably? It's becoming too complicated now!

"My dearest beautiful child! You're back? How I've missed you!" Mother Carter then proceeded to smother her with a tight hug.

"Hmp...mom I can't breathe!"

"Oh, Calvin your here too. Your handsome as ever dear."

"I couldn't come close to you, mother. Who's a shining beacon of life itself." Calvin said with a warm smile.

"Oh? Ho ho ho... he called me 'mother' Aila dear. What a good son-in-law I have, no?"

"Wait a sec! Let go mom."

Aila then whipped out her phone from her bag and scrolled to the headlines that was plastered all over the city.

"What is this?! Why'd you have to do this?" Aila asked Mother Carter agitatedly.

She's not sure why Calvin is so nonchalant about it, although he talked about probably going through the wedding, the truth of the matter is that they don't even love each other. Though there is undoubtedly an attraction between them, it's not enough reason to spend the rest of their lives with each other.

"What's wrong with it? I'm the proudest mother in the world right now, I should have a right to tell it!" Mother Carter said indignantly.

"Really? Tell me the truth. It's been a while since we announced the engagement. Why let it out now?" Aila said suspiciously.

"Mom saw some news regarding a scandal between Calvin and Hanna. So, she had that up as a counterattack." Allister interjected, who just walked in on them standing on the entryway.

Aila then turned to her brother and asked:

"What news?"

"Here." As if on cue, Allister threw a magazine at Aila to catch.

"What?" Catching it instinctively, Aila was surprised to see the front-page cover. The story is going to a direction that's nowhere near described in the book. At this point, she might as well be living off script.

Did the heroine put this up and got triggered when she got into the picture?

Seeing Aila speechless for a moment, Mother Carter comforted her and said:

"Don't worry dear, we'll find who's behind this nonsense. How dare they even claim your Calvin from you. Isn't that right Calvin dear?"

Calvin cleared his throat, seeming to blush from her statement.

"Of course, mom." Calvin confirmed.

"But mother, aren't we supposed to be anonymous? What if I get kidnapped?" Aila asked annoyedly for lack of any explanation as to why she is agitated by the headlines.

"Nonsense! Who would dare? You are the young lady of the Carters'; your status is no joke. And besides, Calvin is with you anyway and I heard he's really good with martial arts." Mother Carter said with pride.

"You do?" Aila asked Calvin, obvious doubt in her tone.

"Why honey, what do you think of me?" Calvin responded with a hand to his heart. Acting all hurt.

"Well, I thought..." you're just a pretty face with a good enough head.

But of course, she didn't say it out loud. She didn't think he's more rounded that he lets on.

So, she just smiled awkwardly. Getting back to the point, Aila tried to reason with her mother again.

"Mom, just pull it back now. I think the news has been spread enough already. Why are still printing it non-stop? I heard it's been more than a day since the news broke."

"What is wrong with you? why are you so agitated? rest assured mother had someone track whoever it was that posted that scandal with Calvin, you're working on it too right Calvin?" Mother Carter asked seriously.

Calvin answered to her inquiry:

"Yes, we actually have found the culprit, and our legal department is doing its best at the moment."

"Good child, now Aila dear, the news is just scheduled for a day or two. There's no harm done, no? Calvin will you be staying for dinner?"

She's ignoring me this whole time, Calvin seems to be her child more than me!

Seeing Aila's expression getting worse Calvin responded that he has business to attend to and had to catch up to work that has piled up since his absence.

"Oh, dear. I understand. You're always welcome here. Aila, sendoff Calvin, would you?"

"Of course, mom." Aila said sarcastically, then without giving Calvin time to say his goodbye, she dragged him outside the doorstep.

"She reminds me of me when I was younger." Mother said when the couple was out of sight.

"Well mother, if that was you then I can see why father was not able to get away from you." Allister responded.

Which earned him another smack from his mother.

******

Meanwhile

Aila was stomping on the lawn to let out her frustration while Calvin is standing nearby smiling slightly at her antics.

When she finally calmed down, she looked at Calvin heatedly and said:

"What are you smiling at?"

"You're very adorable honey."

Aila felt a little flustered. Why does everything that come out of this man's mouth dripping with honey?

"Well, what now? you didn't plan this yourself, did you?" Aila asked suspiciously.

"Of course not, besides we can't control people, it will stay in their minds for a while. The news is out so we can just ride along with it. People's memories are short anyway, this will blow over before you know it." Calvin said soothingly.

Aila frowned. She couldn't understand it at the moment. The memory of the novel's story and her present predicament is a tangled mess in her head. In one hand she doesn't want to get herself too caught in it as she was not sure if the novel's logic will give repercussions to her and her family but at the same time reality dictates that the best course of action was to just let it blow over.

She was quite worried that whatever butterfly-effect her existence had caused might end up harming the people she cared about. At the moment, her affair with Calvin felt secondary to her family. She's willing to relinquish that deal if it meant her family's safety.

Just when her thoughts are going on a downward spiral, a smacking wet sound woke her from her stupor, Calvin kissed her cheek suddenly and she had to look at him with confusion.

"Wha...?"

"Hey, don't worry about it ok? I'm here. You're not alone in this. It will be over soon I promise." Calvin can see that although this news was not a problem for him, but Aila seem distraught about it for some reason.

Aila stared at Calvin intently, seeing the concern on his expression. She couldn't help but relax sensing that his concern for her is genuine.

Aila sighed and said:

"You're right, I think I overreacted. But what about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you say this deal is just for a year? wouldn't this ruin your chances with Han...with other women?"

Calvin laughed softly. It's cute how she still didn't forget to ask about his feelings even in the middle of her distress.

"You know, one thing I don't lack is women. No matter what I do there's always someone hovering around. Just goes to show how handsome your husband-to-be is eh?" Calvin said haughtily.

Aila scowled at him and was about to retort but Calvin beat her to it:

"Besides, why would I look for someone new when I have you? the most beautiful woman in the world." Calvin said seriously and before she could react Calvin had kissed her senseless.