The Royal Contract

Nevertheless, she intended to be as stealthy as possible, wanting to determine if Mike was hiding something else from her. She already knew that he had neglected to tell her about this property.

Whatever he was keeping from her, she would find it. She was tired of being the last one to know. But she would be careful, not wanting any harm to her child. Besides, she doubted that Mike was as dangerous as her father.

He might be a womanizer, but he was no criminal. Was he?

“Nah!” She thought to herself, shoving the idea away as she pretended to walk along the gardens wondering if anyone was around.

But when she noticed the coast was clear, she had not seen any movement from her position. She quickly dashed toward the north side, wondering what she would find there.

She could hardly see anything as thick, shady trees covered most of that area. Then, two structures seemed to block her line of sight. It could be a storage area or something, but she could not see the inside since the doors and windows were closed.

It was still a long walk toward the perimeter wall, but she was determined to see what was on the other side. It could be nothing. The other house could be miles away from the fence.

She did not have the chance to ask Imelda since her husband interrupted them. But it was not stopping her from seeing for herself. But as she closed in on the first structure, she stopped, feeling her heartbeat escalating to a higher degree.

.....

Of course, she was nervous.

“Come on, don’t chicken out now.” She challenged herself as she forced her legs to make another step.

She had no intention of entering the house but to go around it. She wanted to see the other estate that Gerald owned. Why would they need all this space?

But as she stood facing the tall fence, she only felt disappointed. It was a high wall, just like the others she had seen around the area. The only things she saw on the other side were the branches and leaves of more trees that littered the other side of the estate.

She concluded that the other mansion might not be visible from this side of the fence. What was she expecting? She could waltz into the other side and demand an explanation from Mike. Was he even there in the first place?

“Damn!” She was even afraid of her shadow as she accidentally stepped on a stick and was startled by its sudden cracking noise.

Immediately, she turned around and was about to return to the mansion when she felt someone else’s footsteps behind her. But she felt relieved when she heard a familiar voice.

“Haley, wait up.” He said as she heard him closer to her side. “What are you doing here?” He asked as he walked along her side.

“I was bored inside the house, so I decided to walk and ended up here.” She explained, hoping that was a good enough excuse. “Anyway, where did you come from?” She looked behind her, wondering if he was in that building this entire time.

She hoped that by diverting the attention away from her, he would stop suspecting anything was wrong. But from the look of things, he seemed to have no clue about her intentions.

“I was checking some things.” He did not elaborate on his whereabouts. “I am sorry if I failed to join you for breakfast.” He added as they continued to the house.

“That is ok. But I wish to talk to you if you have time.” She decided to use the opportunity to discuss her plans. She might not have time again later.

“We can do it now.” He offered as they entered the house from the other side that would lead to his private office.

They walked to the hallway until he opened the door to the room and ushered her inside. It was not her first time in this area of the house, but now, she wondered if it was his office or Gerald’s.

She scanned the room for any signs or hints indicating ownership, but most of its content was what she would usually find in a room like this. Nothing seemed to belong to Gerald.

But remembering her boyfriend, he was not the typical man who liked to leave memorabilia in his place. His apartment barely had anything that indicated he lived there. He did not even have pictures of his family or himself.

“Please sit down and tell me what you have in mind.” Mike offered as he took the other seat beside her.

She contemplated whether she should ask him about the house. But that would make him suspicious that she had been snooping around. Maybe she could wait till he supplied that information voluntarily.

In the meantime, she had to deal with matters that needed her immediate attention, like the future. She guessed that was more important than knowing the rest of Gerald’s secrets.

“I know you are trying to help us because of Gerald, but I don’t want to continue to be a burden to you.” Haley shifted in her seat until she faced him. “So, I am wondering if you can help me create a new identity for us.” She referred to her and the growing child in her belly.

“I am also thinking about how we...” Then, he stopped. “I can help you with your situation. I also noticed that I can’t keep you a prisoner in this house.” Mike finished.

She noticed how he changed his pronoun, but it could be just a mistake on his part, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. Instead, she focused on the part where he understood her dilemma.

“So, what can you suggest?” She asked, determining that staying in this house for much longer was not an option for her.

She was about to lose her mind if she could not find some form of normalcy in her daily routine. She needed her personal space, a job, anything as long as she could talk to other people.

“What about living on a tropical island in the meantime.” He offered as he tapped his feet on the floor, waiting for her answer. “Just while I sort things out for you? You can supervise the remodeling of a private resort owned by a friend.”

It sounded like a good idea. “But this is just temporary?” She asked, clarifying his plans.

“Yes, just until we find a more permanent solution. This way, you will be far from your father, and you can take care of your baby without thinking of all the problems you left behind here.” He continued, sounding more and more convincing.

“I assure you that the place is fantastic for you and your pregnancy. And besides, I will have an excuse to take my much-needed vacation on the beach.” He relaxingly sighed.

He put his hands on the back of his neck and reclined on the chair as he closed his eyes. He appeared like he was already sunbathing under the glare of the sun.

It seemed nice as she imagined it in her mind. It sounded like paradise.