As soon as he finished his studies, Miguel promised to work hard to take care of his family. He wanted his old father to retire without worries and to live the rest of his life in comfort. The only way to fulfill his goal was to seek for greener pa...
Andre told Miguel not to call his employers nor respond to any calls or messages from them. Miguel obediently followed. Whatever Andre did must be effective. Miguel learned from Tony that Andre sent a substitute to his work place in the school to compensate for the manpower. The substitute was a psychology student in her last year of college and needed an internship experience.
About Miguel's work at Hauz, Andre did not send a substitute. He filed for an indefinite leave. The HR agreed so long as the employee understood that he would not earn anything during the time that he was away. Andre assured them that it was no problem. Talking to the manager of the spa was easy. She only asked if Miguel was alright.
Henry did not mind if Miguel lost his job. He could pay much more than what Miguel earned in a lifetime. The boy did not even need to work. Henry could just give the boy money. But this method of bribery did not work which cause so much frustration. Henry resorted to other means to make the boy comply.
The pain in Miguel's body became less and less. He was able to move around with little difficulty. He walked around the estate for a light exercise in the morning and late in the afternoon when the sun was not too harsh. He talked to the servants and helped out with light activities. He was ashamed of being a free lodger. In his conversation with Lucia, he learned that the landlord never allowed anyone in the estate. He was the first guest to remain in the villa for a long time. He also learned from her that the reason why things from outside were not allowed in the estate was because Mr. Kingsley had been poisoned. As to who did it, Lucia could only speculate.
Lucia stopped talking when Ricardo gave her a look. She left Miguel in the sitting room and went on to continue her work.
Miguel may have been used to Mr. Kingsley's nightly presence but he could never get used to the strange sensations that he felt under the man's touch. There must be something wrong with him. He called Victor one day and described his symptoms.
Victor was not so sure himself. He had to attend a lot of activities abroad. It might take a couple of weeks or months before he returned. He did make a promise to check on Miguel when he returned.
Two weeks passed and the purple bruises on Miguel's body changed to a mottle of green and yellow. Mr. Kingsley did not come that night which was a relief. He took a warm bath and slept well. The next moment he woke up, he found himself in an unfamiliar room. He sat up immediately and looked around. Something prompted him to look outside the windows. When he did, he stumbled back. All he saw were clouds. He could not believe it. He slept on a bed in an airplane that was currently flying in the air!
"You're awake. Good. We are landing in less than ten minutes. Come with me."
Henry was donned in his usual bespoke suit but somehow, he looked more handsome at the moment. Miguel caught a whiff of his unique scent which caused him to feel pleasant.
"Mr. Kingsley, where are we going?" Head slightly tilted; Miguel blinked his large brown eyes.
Henry quietly observed the boy. So, this was what he looked like when he woke up. What a terrible looking thing. "You will know later." He walked out of the bedroom.
Miguel's bare feet padded on the floor. He entered another space and noticed Andre, Kasumi, and Tony sitting on a different area. He saw that there was an empty seat beside Tony so he walked towards their direction but his wrist was caught by Mr. Kingsley. He stumbled on the man's lap. As though he was scorched, he quickly slid to the other seat that was beside the window.
"Buckle up." Ahh that timbre again. Miguel's ears became flushed. He could never get used to it. He looked down but couldn't find the seat belt. Mr. Kingsley leaned towards him causing his face to heat up.
Snap!
They entered a black limousine after landing on the airport. Miguel looked watched the scenery outside the window. Then he saw a famous landmark at a distance. He was sure he saw it on the internet. He turned to the man beside him. "Are we in Russia?"
"Yes." Henry sat comfortably on the leather seat. His eyes remained closed.
"Why are we here?" Miguel could not hold his curiosity any longer.
Henry opened his eyes and looked at the boy beside him. "For a honeymoon."
"Eh?" Miguel was dumbfounded. He waited for an explanation but Mr. Kingsley turned away from him, closed his eyes, and did not elaborate. The car stopped in front of a mansion. They were well received by a neat line of maids and manservants. The butler lead them to their room.
When the butler left, Miguel turned to Henry who was seated behind a desk. The man was already busy working on his laptop. "Umh...Mr. Kingsley, where is my room?"
"Here." Henry responded. His eyes remained on the screen.
Miguel did not know what to do. He sat on the sofa and played with his cellphone. He chatted with Marian and asked how they were doing back home. She said that she was currently dating someone. Miguel became excited and asked lots of questions. His eyes became strained from looking at the screen for too long.
When Henry turned away from his laptop, he looked at the boy's direction. The boy was sleeping on the sofa at an awkward angle. He stood up and transferred the boy on the bed. Then he went back to work.
The butler knocked on the door and told Henry that dinner was prepared. Henry woke the boy up. Miguel cleaned his face in the bathroom and gargled his mouth.
They followed the butler to the garden outdoors. The temperature at night was just right and the sky was illuminated by the new moon. Fairy lights and vintage lamps added a soft glow to the table. Mr. Kingsley started to eat. Miguel followed suit. He was also famished so he focused on eating his food. After dinner was done, Henry left with his subordinates.
Miguel returned inside the mansion. The butler showed him to the movie room. Miguel entertained himself with movies and snacks. When he became sleepy, he went back to the bedroom upstairs. He slept on the couch. Mr. Kingsley did not return in the evening. Miguel also did not see him the following morning.
In the morning, the butler toured Miguel inside the mansion. Miguel learned the history of the mansion including its former owners. Apparently, it belonged to the royal family but was sold to a private owner when the monarchy fell. It fell into ruins in the decades that followed. A few years ago, it was purchased by Mr. Kingsley and restored it to its former glory.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
