Emilia Ellis
Chase was only able to explain what he saw and I was not willing to share any more details. I am exhausted from the incidents. I still have meetings to attend.
"We will talk about this later." I said to Jace. "I have a meeting to attend." I looked at Chase and thank him, again.
"Please take care." He said.
"I will." I said.
I attended the meeting trying very hard to concentrate. It was manageable, I touch my injured back lightly and winced at the pain. I think I should get it check, ASAP. I called our family doctor and asked if I can see her at office, now.
She was more than willing to schedule one. Jace wanted to question me about my sudden request to stop at Dr. Finch , but kept his mouth shut.
"Oh my..." Dr. Finch said as I pulled up my shirt. "There's a big bruise on your back." She said as she examined me. She suggested next time to immediately use icepack and she handed one to me. She suggested some cream for my back and painkiller, just in case I need them.She told me to make sure I use ice pack and rest my back.
When I reached home, Jace followed me inside. I passed my briefcase to Zara and changed my shoes.
"Ms.Ellis." Jace started. I was kind of glad Daniel was out of town for business.
"Yes, Jace." I said.
"I don't want to cross any lines, but could you please tell me what is going on."
I looked at him. "Leslie had an incident back in the take out place and I confronted that guy.."
He took a sharp breath. "Master Daniel will not be happy to hear this. You, confronting with a stranger." I rolled my eyes.
"He doesn't need to know anything about that."
"It's my duty to report to him." He said.
"And get both of us into trouble? No, thank you." I said..
"I will resign if I have to, but I will report to him and take the consequences."
"You did no wrong." I said snapping at him. I was upset now. "You were just following my order and not everyone have the privilege to have a body guard and I know that.. some people have to stand up for themselves in the world."
"I still have to report to him."
"By all means." I said, I was too tired to argue with him. Sometime, I feel powerless when it comes to my brothers. I don't like when the staffs report every single things that I do. I'm not a child that need constant watch and reporting to. I was frustrated, now.
Chase walked in, very casually at my place.
"What are you doing here?" I asked looking at him. He showed me take out bags.
"I thought to give you some company." He said.
"I'm fine." I said walking inside the living room. He followed behind me.
"I know, I wanted to have dinner with you though."
"I'm not in a mood for social talks."
"We don't have to talk. We can just eat."
"I'm going to take a shower." I said.
"I'll wait here for you." He said as he called out. I took a hot long shower. I wore a loose shirt and flannel pant and dried my hair. He was sitting in the living room playing with his phone.
He stood up when he saw me and give me a smile.
"Your brothers are not here?" He suddenly realized that.
I didn't want to share that details with him. He's still a stranger to me and I have no idea what his intentions are..
"I'm hungry." I said changing the topic. "Are you?"
"Yes." He give me a smile. "I bought hot wings with shrimp pasta and tiramisu for dessert from Little Italy. You remember that place?"
"Yes and Sounds great. Thank you." I said looking at him for a brief moment. He is so handsome and seeing his other side today-brought back my conversations with my brothers. Why the tabloids and news are not covering that side of him? The side that made me feel like he is much more than a rich playboy.
"What?" He asked with a small smile. I shake my head, shaking any thoughts away.
"Come." I said and pulled him by his hoodie's sleeves. I noticed he changed his office outfit to much more casual. He look handsome in whatever he wears, how unfair is that?
We sat at the dining table and Zara and Leo served us the foods. They warm it up for us.
"Wine?" I asked.
"You don't drink, do you?" He asked.
"I don't." I said.
"Just water is fine." He said.
I stood up to ask Zara to get me the best wine bottle from the wine cellar. I owe him for helping Leslie and me.
Zara poured us some drink, that I have no idea about. I'm not into alcohol, so I have very little knowledge about what type it was.
Chase was a little taken aback when Zara served us wine.
"I can clink glass with you." I said with a small smile. "And maybe you can finish my glass too."
He shake his head, with a smile.
"I heard you covered the news about the..." I coughed awkwardly. "The brooch thing."
He paused and looked at me. "Yes. I didn't want you to stress about this."
"Why did you give me the brooch?" I asked. That thought bothered me for a while.
He looked thoughtful for a moment and sipped his wine. "You are different." He said and I give him a confused look. "You seemed pretty interesting in the beginning and I tried to get your attention." He chuckled. "But you don't seem to get faze by anything. No one has ever said no to me before."
I rolled my eyes at him. "Are you going to be those men in books who takes it as a challenge because a woman said no to you?"
"I'm not taking it as a challenge." He said. "I just find it so fascinating."
He must be joking at the moment.
"Fascinated that someone is not kissing the ground you are walking in?"
"See? This thing where you speak your mind out to me." He said. "No one ever spoke to me like that before."
"You like snarky facts and comments about you?" I asked.
There was quietness before he threw his head back and laughed. His laugh is so beautiful.
"You are adorable." He said to me.
"Adorable." I said testing the word in my mouth. No one has ever said that word to describe me before.
He reached out and pat my head gently. I scowled at him.
"You are so serious though." He said, pointing out the most obvious thing.
I shrugged.
"It's okay to relax once in a while." He said.
"And then taken as a joke by people? Sure." I snap back and he frowned.
"Why would people take you as a joke just because you relax a bit rather than be uptight all the time."
"You don't understand and I doubt you will understand."
"Then explain to me? Why do you have to hold back your laugh or your happiness for other people?"
"That's how I take controls on things, already people think I'm the baby in the family and if I act carefree and relax...it's like I'm agreeing to whatever they are thinking." I put my cutleries down. My appetite was lost in between our conversation.
"You can relax now." He said. "You are at home. You can enjoy whatever you love to do, you can throw your head back and laugh or you can snort and laugh, do crazy things."
Home? I feel more like a prison. I am grateful for everything that I have. Grateful for protective and caring family, grateful for foods, home, work and everything else, but the only thing I never got was freedom.Since as a child, I was taught to give people polite smiles, even if I want to laugh in public or speak my mind out about a controversial topic. I was told to keep the smile because laughing does not look good in public. I was restricted to going out to the field trips in schools, I have never been to an amusement park before, never went to bowling or concerts. No one asked me to go shopping with them or hang out with them back in school because they know the answer already... but he will not understand that.