CHAPTER 23: CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: LOVE IS A WEAKNESS

Kendrick’s POV

"What is the meaning of this?" Raymond asked me angrily.

Sameen rushed forward anxiously, shielding him with her body.

"He is your father! How can you be so heartless?" She questioned me angrily as well but I didn’t respond.

"You have no right to arrest me, I haven’t committed any crime" He said with a triumphant expression.

His confidence gave me an unsettling feeling that he must have something up his sleeves.

Ring ring!

Mason’s phone suddenly rang, I don’t know what the other party said to him but his expression immediately turned dark.

"Ken" he called to me before walking out of the ward.

I followed him out with a frown, wondering what was happening.

"The Martinez family got involved, they got a hold of my superiors and I have been ordered to let Raymond go" he informed me with a helpless expression.

Bang!

I punched the wall in anger, he really had everything planned out, that’s why he was so confident.

"Ken, I think the best thing to do now is to make them regret their actions without being too open about it" Mason advised me and I nodded.

He was right, being sent to jail will be a light punishment for Raymond. I have to destroy everything he holds dear and watch him crumble.

I took out my phone from my pocket and dialed Evan’s number, he picked on the second ring.

"Give Raymond the Westlake project that he has been pitching for, tell him to come for the signing tomorrow" I instructed him before hanging up.

"I need to head back to the base now" Mason said before calling the officers that came with him.

I watched them leave before going back to Grandpa’s room.

"All bark and no bite" Sameen taunted as soon as I stepped in, I ignored her and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Let’s go home, so we won’t disturb Grandpa’s rest," Raina said with an impatient expression.

She was clearly forced here, just to have a pleasant excuse when Grandpa wakes up.

"Take this Christy, the night might be cold" Curtis said as he handed his jacket to her.

I watched as she took it without hesitation and he gave me a lopsided grin.

Something in me just wanted to rip it out of her hands and throw it in the trash can. The more I stared at the jacket, the angrier I became.

When they finally left, the room became deathly silent. Christy just stared at Grandpa, probably trying to avoid looking at me.

"I will tell Evans to get you something warm" I said to her but she just ignored me.

I walked to where she was sitting, to collect the jacket and toss it into the trash can.

"What are you trying to do?" She asked me with a frown.

"Getting rid of the trash" I replied but she quickly pulled it back from me.

"How is it any of your business? Please don’t meddle in my life" she said with an annoyed expression.

"I am sorry about what I said earlier" I apologized as she was still clearly upset about what happened before we left the villa.

"You don’t need to apologize, you were only stating the truth. I am the one that was getting ahead of myself and not facing reality" She said with a forced smile.

I just wanted to hug her and tell her or show her how sorry I am but ...

What if it is all in my head and I don’t actually have such feelings for her?

Everything changed since the night I was drugged. Am I in love with her or just feeling guilty for what happened?

Love is a weakness I can’t afford to have.

So many questions were running through my head and I had no answer to any.

"The first month payment will be sent to you tomorrow" I blurted out without thinking.

She looked hurt but quickly adjusted her expression.

Why would I say that at this moment? I felt so frustrated as I stared at her face.

"I need to get some fresh air," she said before walking away.

I knew following her at this moment wouldn’t make a difference, so I decided to wait till she was calm.

******

Christy’s POV

Kendrick’s words have been playing repeatedly in my head and it took a lot of effort for me to not break down.

Even if I knew it wasn’t real, I just wanted to delude myself a little.

To act like I wasn’t alone in this big world and that I also have a family that loves me.

Grandpa gave me so much love and care that I have lacked all my life in just three weeks and I will never forget his kindness for the rest of my life.

I let my tears fall freely as I made my way to the hospital garden.

"Are you okay?" Curtis’s voice came from behind me and I turned to see him with a pack of takeout.

"I thought you might be hungry and brought you some food" he said with a smile that reminded me of the sweet boy from years ago.

It seemed like the violent man from two days ago was a figment of my imagination or he was just so good at masking his emotions.

"Hey, you have been staring at me non-stop" he said with a soft voice that gave me goosebumps.

My stomach chose this moment to growl and I had no choice but to accept the food. I secretly prayed he left me alone as soon as I collected it.

"Good night, I would have loved to stay with you but I have an important meeting in the morning" he said with an apologetic smile and I gave him a nod to signify that I understand.

I watched as he walked away and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

I needed space to think about everything that’s going on and make plans for when the contract expires.

On getting to the garden, I headed straight to the bench to sit and eat the food.

I suddenly stopped walking when I heard someone sobbing behind the flower pots.

I slowly walked around the pots to get a clearer view of the person.

The sun had already set and night was fast approaching. I saw a girl, wearing a black dress with her head resting on her knees.Her body shook as she sobs continuously.

"Hello, are you okay?" I asked her and she slowly lifted her head to look at me.

"Christy?"