Our Lies

Chapter 19

"You must be startled by my sudden invitation. I just thought we should know each other a little more," Eric apologized.

They were sitting in the dining hall inside Crown's residence. Agata had come to fulfill Eric Crown's invitation from before. She looked at the host. He was her employer, but Agata did not feel intimidated by the man. His way of talking and the way he looked at her. Agata felt there was a vague sense of loneliness in his manner but he disguised it with a warm fatherly smile.

"Mr. Crown, before that, the truth is... urm..."

Gia extended his hand before Agata to stop her. "There is a misunderstanding here, Uncle Eric. Everything you heard from grandpa about Agata and Jean was something I thoughtlessly lied about."

"You can at least credit me for the smart lie that saved you, Gia." Jean murmured from across.

Eric looked startled. "What are you talking about, Serogia?"

Eric did not expect to see his son's friend in today's meeting. He assumed he was here as Jean's friend but judging from the seating arrangement and his constant glances at Agata during their whole lunch time, Eric suspected that the young man was here today for Agata.

"Aren't you calling Agata here today because you thought she is Jean's girlfriend? Just to make it clear, she is not. They are not close or anything. Jean doesn't care about her and Agata also doesn't see him as anything past an acquaintance. They just happened to meet because she was looking for ME." Gia made sure to add the extra information he thought Eric should know.

"What..." Agata widened her eyes.

"Oh, my... I'm sorry." Eric could not hold his laughter and burst out laughing. Jean just shook his head helplessly.

"Why are you laughing?" Gia knitted his brows, looking confused.

Eric wiped the tears from his eyes. "I admit I am interested in knowing Miss Agata after hearing about her from your grandfather but it's not because of her close relationship with Jean." He paused and then added, "But of course, if you find our Jean agreeable, I don't mind starting thinking of you as my future daughter in law." Eric flashed a smile at Agata.

"That will never happen, Uncle Eric." Gia protested.

"And why are you the one deciding that?" Agata sighed.

Eric silently watched them and then turned to Gia. "I've been wondering since you arrived, Serogia. Are you... acquainted with Miss Agata?"

"What...?"

"I was assuming you are here today at Jean's request. But now it doesn't seem so to me."

"Well..."

"Agata is presumably Gia's childhood friend, Dad." Jean offered the answer.

"Childhood... friend?" Eric looked surprised. There was a moment of silence in the room. The host looked like he was lost in thought.

"You knew him from before?" He asked Agata.

Agata nodded. "Yeah. We were neighbors back then."

"Neighbor? Is that so..." Eric left his sentence hanging. He remembered reading Agata's information not long ago. "Your parents... you are an orphan, aren't you?"

Agata nodded. "Long ago."

Before Eric could ask further, a loud crash suddenly filled the room, startling everyone. Agata saw a glass had crushed into pieces on the floor nearby her. She looked up and saw Gia's face had lost color.

"I... I'm sorry," Gia apologized. "My hand slipped..." He tried to pick up the broken pieces with his trembling hand before Agata stopped him.

"What happened, Gia? Are you okay?" His face looked pale.

Jean called for someone to clean up the floor while Eric just sat there staring at his son's best friend.

"Hey, are you okay? You don't look good." Jean walked over to Gia's side.

"You look tired, Serogia. Why don't you rest for a while here? Call a doctor if needed." Eric suggested.

"I'm... alright. It's nothing." Gia muttered. "It's nothing..."

***

Gia was resting alone in a room prepared by Jean when he heard someone knocked at the door.

"Serogia, are you inside? May I enter?" The gentle voice behind the door asked.

Gia knew who it was. He hesitated a little but eventually answered the call. "Please come in, Uncle Eric."

The door handle turned and soon Eric Crown came into view.

"How are you feeling? Just stay here for the night if you are still feeling unwell." Eric offered. He looked concerned.

"Thank you, but I am fine now." He was never feeling unwell to begin with. Gia looked past him as if looking for someone.

Eric smiled, knowing fully whom the young man was looking for. "Miss Agata isn't here. She is with Jean downstairs."

"I... see..."

Eric put a hand on Gia's shoulder gently. "Can we talk?"

"Urm... yeah... I guess so..." Gia was visibly nervous about the upcoming conversation.

Eric took a seat beside Gia on the bed and smiled at him. "You know, when old Leo suddenly announced you as his heir months ago, everyone there was taken aback."

Gia smiled weakly. "I'm sure they do."

Eric could guess what Gia was thinking. "It's not what you think. We all know you are a capable man and I am sure old Leo saw that too. To be able to earn his trust, you must have gone through a lot." He patted the young heir's shoulder. Gia did not say anything. He cast his eyes downward.

"Do you want to know what everyone thinks?" Eric asked.

Gia looked up.

"That Leo has finally given up on finding his missing daughter." Eric said with a sad smile on his face.

A moment of silence filled the room before Eric let out a polite cough.

"Can I tell you something?" He asked again as he rose and walked to the nearest window. Gia could see Eric's expression reflected on one of the window's panels.

"Long before I met Jean's mother..." Eric began and turned his body, leaning his back against the tall window frame. "I knew, and was a good friend to Dara Dignita."

At the mention of the name, a chill ran through Gia. He looked up and their eyes met.

"Yes, your mother." Eric smiled. He could see the sudden change in Gia's face. Fear? Anxious?

He continued. "Not many people know about this but I was once, engaged to Leo Dignita's only daughter."