Our Lies

Chapter 30

It's impossible, isn't it? Georgia glanced at the photo frame placed neatly above the fireplace inside Dignita main residence's living room. It was an old picture of a lady she once served. Her eyes traveled around the room. Georgia used to live here in her youth when she first started working for the family. She was a young maid assigned to help the young heiress back then. Due to their similar age, it did not take Georgia and Dara long to become a confidante to each other – and she was the first person to learn about her pregnancy. She still remembered well the day Dara came to find her. The young lady was shaking with fear upon learning about the baby in her womb.

"Father is going to kill me, Georgia...!" She had cried.

"Dara, let's go see the Master. He will be angry of course, but you are his only daughter and this is his grandchild. I am sure he will..."

"You don't understand how scary father is, Georgia...! I don't know what he will do to this child... and Ali."

"But, we can't keep this from him forever. He will know sooner or later! And it's better if he knows it from you. Come on, Dara!"

But she was wrong. Leo Dignita was fuming with rage the moment Dara broke the news. He was so angry that he kicked his only child out and fired all her personal helpers, leaving her with nothing. Georgia was only able to hold her job thanks to Dara's late mother who viewed her as her daughter's good friend, keeping her close in case her missing daughter came into contact with her. She waited too but news from her old friend never came.

She glanced at the photo frame again. But if it's true... then... young master and the lady... She could feel her stomach churned from her own thoughts.

Leo's secretary's polite cough startled Georgia.

"Mrs. Tempton. Thank you for coming. May I?" The secretary held out his hand.

Georgia handed him the medicinal soup she had prepared and asked. "Is the Master alright?"

"Just fatigue, I hope. He is near 80, but you know him." The secretary shook his head. "I should bring this to him. Thank you, Mrs. Tempton. I will ask someone to send you home."

Georgia watched the man walked up the stairs. Leo never let anyone near his bedroom except his private secretary since his wife passed away. She got up and prepared to leave the house. As she walked heading to the entrance, her mind went back to the first time Leo called her personally in this house. He had brought back a child with him. Dara's son, he had said. Georgia could not hold her tears at that time. She hugged the confused boy and cried. He was the baby. The baby that her friend once worried about. How he had grown. She was instructed to take care of him in a separate household Leo had prepared. Georgia had braved herself to ask about Dara's whereabouts but Leo did not answer. She wondered if Leo still had not forgiven his daughter that he did not even want to live under the same roof with his grandson.

The boy had amnesia from an accident, making all her questions about Dara kept left unanswered. She did not mind. She vowed to take care of her friend's son until she came home. Serogia was a sweet child. Quiet and shy. The only thing that concerned her was all the wounds in his small body. They did not look like they were new. The doctor who took care of him after the accident had raised the possibility of him being physically abused. But, by whom? Georgia could not imagine Dara harming her own son. No matter how many times Georgia asked, the boy only shook his head and told her he could not remember anything.

She stopped just before the entrance. Should she tell Leo? The young master clearly had Miss Agata somewhere in his heart and if her hunch was true, this would not end well. She clenched her fists as she took one last look at the large portrait of Dara Dignita hanging on the wall before leaving the house.

***

"What happened to your hair?" Gia looked surprised as his friend greeted him.

"Long due for a change." Jean smiled and took a seat. His signature shoulder length blonde hair had been cut short with a perfect parting on one side.

"Huh... you don't look happy about it." Gia remarked as he ate his lunch.

Jean frowned and then pouted. "I was... before coming here."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind."

A knock on the door paused the two. Amaria came in to serve the guest a drink and then left without saying anything. Jean did not even try to throw his usual flirtatious comments this time.

Noticing the heavy atmosphere, Gia wiped his mouth and asked. "Whatever happened between the two of you?"

"Nothing." Jean responded lazily.

"I thought your relationship is better than this. This isn't like you at all." Gia chuckled.

Jean looked annoyed. "Enough about me. I came here because of uh... urm... the news! Someone claimed as your father came to find your fiancée?"

"We have taken care of that." Gia looked uninterested as he popped a slice of cucumber into his mouth.

"So, it's just another impostor? How boring."

"Aren't you going to tell me what your true purpose is for coming here?" Gia narrowed his eyes.

Jean rolled his eyes. "Can't I come and see my friend when I miss him and look, I want to show you my new hair..."

"You don't come to my office for that, Jean."

"Do I look that bad?"

"What...?"

"My new hair. Do you think it doesn't suit me?" Jean combed his lower back hair with his fingers.

Gia laughed. "I guess our handsome, ever confident Jean can become uncertain about his appearance at times too."

"I am being serious now." The younger man pouted.

"It doesn't matter what I say, does it? You don't get a haircut because of me." Gia cleaned up his lunch boxes and set them aside. "Your new hair suits you. You look good, by the way."

Jean smiled. "I love you, Gia. You know that, right?"

Gia returned the smile. "Of course. Now leave."