The Grand Mistress

Chapter 73 - Tremors

Feather searched for Hawk almost every corner she could find. She had a bad feeling about his sudden disappearance that instead of leaving to change her ruined bikini, she ended up roaming everywhere, looking for any signs that would lead to her fiance. 

Soon she found a wooden hut near the beach and although she was sure Hawk wasn't there, there was some kind of force that drove her to explore such an unusual place. As she came closer, she heard Hawk's voice—not sure if it was just a product of her imagination or that he really was there talking to someone, a woman to be exact and in just a few seconds, she heard a woman cursing loudly. 

Hearing those curses made Feather's lungs go so tight that she had no choice but to exhale heavily. The sound—moaning, curses, dirty talks that she could hear was like a knife being jabbed right through her heart over and over again. There was a part of her that wanted to stop and paused, thinking whether she really needed to see what's on the other side or if she can handle it all. What if she would really find Hawk there?

Feather shook her head, trying to dismiss all the negative thoughts that were running on her mind. She was in the Gao's hotels and resort—a property that belonged to her family and her mother made sure no one, not even the Hawk's mystery whore could infiltrate such a place. Besides, this resort was very expensive, something that only the class A socialites can afford and judging by the way that copper haired woman was—it was obvious she doesn't have much money because if she does, she won't bother seducing Hawk Monsanto. She was very sure that the girl only needed some share of Hawk's wealth because if not, then why would she even chase a man who was already committed to someone else? It was very obvious that she was desperate.

"Hawk?" Feather called on him, still afraid of what she would find. Too many scenes flashed in her mind right then, all of which were those she had watched from telenovelas where the girl caughts her fiance in bed with someone else and that made all their lives miserable. As much as possible, she doesn't want that to happen. She had exerted too much effort to become Hawk Monsanto's fiancee, she cannot just give that up right then.

What answered her call was another round of moans and little screams from the people who obviously were making love at the back of the hut. Curious and very much wanted to confirm whether it was Hawk right there, she made full hasty strides with a dark expression. She was only gone for like three  minutes and that M Conglomerate president was able to knock off her confidence and made her feel very unsecure despite the fact that they were on her family's resort.

The breathing and heavy moans at the back of the hut were intensifying. Together with rising tensions, Feather's anger boiled up. She was trying her best to reach the back immediately but for some reasons, the way was a bit longer than she expected, or it seemed that it stretched for some reasons. Her knees and hands then were shaking too,fervently hoping she would not see any betrayal head on.

Alas, after minutes of struggle, Feather was only a step away from the corner and when she turned, expecting to see a scandalous sight, she found Hawk—alone and breathless.

"Hawk?" Feather wanted to confront him right away but when she looked around, she found no one there with him.

Hawk didn't answer for quite some time as he was still catching his breath and his mind was still in daze. He was almost there—he and Simione were close to reaching their bliss and yet, without no warning, Simione fled the scene, leaving his body in a helpless state. He closed his eyes hard, as he shoved off all the feelings that were left unsatisfied.

"Are you okay? What happened to you?" Feather threw him questions successively that after he was able to clear his head, he chose to answer immediately as her voice kind of made him irritated. That voice was the reason why his mysterious woman fled and even though he knew Simione did the right thing, his body as well as his down urges certainly didn't like how all things ended.

"I'm fine," Hawk's voice was hard, as if  he was in a state of half angry and half confused. "Why are you here?" he asked hastily that he was not able to hide his frustration over Feather's sudden appearance.

"I'm sorry...I...I lost you and I…" Feather couldn't respond right away as she certainly didn't not expect such hostility from him. Hawk had always been gentle and caring for her and it was the first time she had seen him in such a bad mood.

"You are not dressed yet?" Hawk took notice of her unchanged bikini, where the mark of the previously spilled refreshment was still lingering obviously. "Did you go around with that?"

Hawk's voice was like chastising her and in a moment, Feather turned real emotional over such a little outburst from  him. She felt like crying and very ashamed when he made it very obvious that she looked very unpleasant with her ruined bikini. Truth was, when she lost sight of him, she panicked so much that she was not able to think anything anymore but just went and searched for him, very afraid that someone had managed to snatched him away again. However, seeing the upset Hawk in front of her face, the situation for her became more heartbreaking.

"I'm sorry,"

"Feather you kept apologizing for nothing," Hawk again made a negative remark. It was obvious that Hawk was frustrated by something and it became very obvious in his exchanges with Feather right then. However, his remark wasn't really that harsh and his recent remark was meant for good as he thought Feather should not apologize for something she had no fault on. But Feather, who was then overly sensitive, took the comment hard that right then she looked like a puppy being chastised by her master. 

"I was worried because when  I turned to look at you, you weren't there anymore. I thought you were...I was worried," She settled on her last statement, not being able to confront him anymore of the moans and sensual curses she heard before she saw him. 

Seeing that she turned teary, Hawk's heart softened right away. He sighed inwardly, chiding himself for taking it all against Feather when she had no fault whatsoever in what happened. It was his mistake. It was his goddam urges he couldn't control and in broad daylight! What the hell was he even thinking? If Feather had seen him and his mistress then, it would end up in such a heavy scandal!

"I was just visiting the beach," Hawk reasoned, his tone back to normal. "I thought it will be long for you to come back so I went alone,"

Although his reasoning was a bit crooked, Feather accepted it wholeheartedly. He was afterall near the beach and the view of it from that part was rather beautiful—unexpectedly. 

"I see. I'm really sorry I should have not followed you and went on my own," She apologised again to Hawk's frustration. 

The old Feather he knew wasn't this soft and apologetic. She was a bit nasty, headstrong that even when she makes mistakes, it would be hard for her to apologize if she didn't want to. Although the new Feather was actually better—graceful, uptight and well mannered—Hawk somehow craved the old person she once was as it was those qualities that amused him so much. Right then, he felt like this was probably one of the reasons why he was attracted with Simione, because it was with her that he saw the qualities of the old Feather he knew, as if she was his home and not the Han's heiress he sought very much to have.

With a heavy downhearted sigh, Hawk ended up tapping Feather's head to appease her. "Would you rather have me come with you then? I can wait for you in the room while you change,"

"Alright," Feather settled, relieved that Hawk's tension had evaporated right away. Hawk Monsanto being angry was something she would not want to ever encounter again as it only reminded her of the possible things he might do to her when he ever finds out her greatest secret. Hopefully, she will be wed to him soon and that secret can then be buried forever.

Hawk then escorted Feather back to their room.  On their way, Feather excused herself to go to a nearby bathroom to somehow calm herself. Hawk of course let her go and waited for at the door of the ladies bathroom.

Inside, Feather washed her face, hoping the cold water would be able to calm her down. Hawk's bad temperament almost made her shed tears and sent her whole body shaking. For a few minutes, she stood idly in front of the bathroom's mirror, waiting for her tremors to subside.