His Island Girl

Chapter Twenty

Leo swallowed hard before closing his eyes for some seconds and then opened them again. He released a deep sigh and said,

"We will sort all of that later. Just promise me you won't back down on the plan and all of what you want will happen"

"I will do as you wish, as long as you'll keep your end of the bargain" Dave told him.

"Terms and conditions also apply. You have to give me more reasons to count on you".

"Are we doing business now?" Dave said in a half chuckle.

"Well that's what you made it seem like" Leo replied nonchalantly.

"Anyways never mind. I will do as you wish. We can first transfer the ownership to my name then later include Ella and Mirabella just as you'd suggested earlier. I only hope that a week is not too long to process everything" Dave said calmly. He wanted to lighten up the mood because he noticed the change in Leo's demeanor but he was not sure on what to do in order to put a smile on an old soldier's face.

"I have everything well planned out and If it's fine by you, tomorrow we can begin the process. Besides, the RKGC cannot to anything without the original documents, even if they try to, they'll need at least two copies of the documents which are all in my custody"

"Woah! That's some relevant relieve. However, I have a subordinate now who can stand in for the company when I'm not there. The problem is that he's too ambitious. What if they use him?" Dave inquired. He knew it was not relevant to the discussion but somehow he became frightened by the reality.

"They can't use him because neither the Orman Empire nor Andrew has any connection to this land. They can only get it through the ideal person that is you the real successor. Also, this entire process would have been done with by the time they begin to have such ideas because you'll already be one step ahead of them" Leo said in that definitive leadership tone that always distinguished him from ordinary followers.

He stood up and began to pace around and his boots began to give out that thudding sound even on the hard ground. He hardly smiled nor laughed and aside from the time they shared a drink and he got drunk, Dave had only experienced the bossy and tyrannic side of him. He was however back to the mood Dave liked, that witfully smart yet authoritative jerk who knew who the new assistant CEO is to the Orman Empire.

"Can you teach me to be like you?" Dave asked the most unintentional request he could ever ask from anyone. On a normal day when he's surrounded by his subbordinates, it would sound detrimental to his personality but with this man here, he wanted to be the subbordinate for once and follow instructions rather than give out instructions. He was willing to be the follower as long as he would have him as the leader.

Leo only turned to look at him as if he had just asked the impossible.

"I will do anything you ask, even staying here for as long as you want me to" Dave continued without an ounce of fear or regret in the grumpiness Leo seemed to emit.

"Why? I thought you said I'm a spy or do you want to be a spy too"

"I want to know about every move of my enemies and also how to protect myself and my loved ones"

Leo became mute and only hummed in a way that showed he was indifferent to whatever reasons Dave wanted to be like him.

"It'll take years of practice are you sure you can handle it?"

"I can handle everything" Dave nodded.

Leo continued to pace around while nodding his head then later began to crack his knuckles.

"On one condition?"

"What condition?" Dave replied.

"You cannot get too close to Ella or even fall in love with her. She's too tender and not fit for stress that comes with relationships" Leo finally said.

Dave hummed and shook his head at the illfare condition. It wasn't fair and he had not expected such difficult and nearly impossible request in exchange for a deal he was willing to do anything for. He thought that his new mentor couldn't possibly be serious. After all the pep talk he had with him concerning the same issue, it seemed his lecturing went through deaf ears.

"I'm only human, as long as I'll be staying here and seeing her everyday, it'll be impossible for me.

I guess we have no deal then" Dave replied in a low tone.

"It's only for a week that you'll be staying here Dave, if you ever come back you are free to love her all you want, that's only if she will love you back"

"But I can't seem to control my emotions anytime she's around me. She affects me greatly and-"

"Weaklings cannot learn to be like me Dave because if you really want to be like me, you must keep every emotions or feelings aside and be a man. I will teach you a lot of things you need to know. I will teach you how to always win against Lesley. I will tell you who the black ships of Orman Empire are, I will also tell you who is secretly working for the RKGC as an insider in your company. I will tell you about the people you should watch out for else they betray you in the future" he was smiling as he said all these.

Dave was not totally convinced because though he desired to see him smile always, there was something about his smile that carried a bit of mischief which made him (Dave) dumbfounded. Could he really know all of what he just mentioned or was he just saying them to get him to agree to what he wanted.

"You're despicable. Are you saying all these for your selfish interest?" Dave said at the edge of getting displeased.

"It's your choice boy. You have the right to either trust me or not. But it is my duty to watch over what my late friends left in my care because I owe my allegiances to them. If I had wanted to take advantage of you, I would have done so a long time ago even without your knowledge. Besides, I don't see anything to gain from all these by the way" Leo said before picking up some pebbles to throw into the small lake.

Dave immediately felt sorry for thinking less of him. He was only doing everything just to help and protect the upcoming generation of his late friends even though he had nothing to want for himself. He has literally been through a lot and had lost almost everyone he had ever loved and the few ones under his care are the only thing that mattered to him at the moment.

"I...I'm sorry. Please pardon my ignorance and ingratitude. I...I just" Dave breathed halfway his speech, he was rarely speechless.

"Good boy" Leo patted him on the shoulder, automatically understanding his stance.

"But if you don't mind, I also have my conditions"

"What could they be?"

"That you would grant us your blessings if eventually we-"

"You seem to be running faster than your shadow. In that case you will have to stay here for as long as it'll take for you to know a lot, even if it exceeds one week. Just see me as a friend rather than an accomplice"

"Deal" Dave replied as he walked up to him.

"No getting intimate with my daughter. But you are allowed to be friends. Deal?" Leo stretched out his arm for a deal handshake.

"Deal" Dave said as he shook his hand.

"Let's go home, I'm famished" he stretched his body and limbs before leading the way.

"What about the basket?" Dave called out behind him.

"It's yours isn't it? So carry it yourself and consider it your first assignment. If you're gonna stay here then you need to pick up new and abandon some old thoughts. Here, you're not the great and bossy Dave Orman" Leo smirked before turning to continue in his tracks.

Dave absolutely could not believe that everything was actually happening. Without another word, he raised the heavy basket and positioned it on his shoulder just to avoid more taunting words from him.

"Can I ask you a question?" Dave said when they had walked some distance. "Yeah?" Leo replied.

"If I hadn't come here in the first place or got involved with Ella, would you still have found me to reveal to me everything you just said earlier since you had been in hiding?"

Leo slowed down in his tracks and then continued without saying anything.

"I would have sent her to personally deliver that letter to you in your house. That way you would have been more interested in the deliverer of the letter than the letter itself. Then you would ask her where she lives or even follow her here just to get to know her more" he said.

Dave laughed so heartily that he felt the weight of the basket which threatened to fall off his shoulder as a result of his laughter.

*****

It was past afternoon when they arrived at the serenely beautiful asylum. They had entered through a secret door which seemed different from the one they had used earlier in the morning and the one they had come in at night. Dave thought that he would never get to fully understand the true design of the structure of the compound. Even with the time of the day, the place looked dimmed as a result of the numerous trees around which formed a sort of canopy, preventing the sun's rays from settling in, making the atmosphere and weather to be cool. The whole place was quiet and totally different from the place he once had breakfast with the family.

No one seemed to be home except Adrian who came to welcome them and collected the basket from Dave. The heaviness of the basket didn't seem to affect him as he balanced it so well on his head.

"Is your mother not back from the shore yet?" His grandpa asked him.

"Yes" the boy replied.

"And your aunt?" Leo added.

"She just left a while ago to the shore too" the little boy replied and left when as soon as he was dismissed.

The moment Dave went into his room, the first thought that flooded his mind was Noella. Since he had came in the previous night, he had not set his eyes on her and was not even sure if she was aware of his presence in the house. If not for the deal he had with her father a while ago, he was willing to spend every minute by her side but he was not sure if her father would let him see her often.

After freshening up and laying on the bed be began to remember the orders of the great Leo Kendal. He was not to be seen out unless he tells him to. He had to obey the rules even though he was so famished and craved for a taste of those delicious looking fruits those men had brought earlier. He had not eaten anything since morning and seemed tired from the long trip on foot. Few minutes later, he fell asleep.

Leo came into the room after some hours to invite him to dinner with the family and decided to wake him up from his nap. He was wearing an evening robe which made him look totally different from how he usually appeared and what he embodied.

"Remember the deal" he reminded him lastly before they left the room.

"And button up your shirt. You wouldn't be planning to seduce my innocent daughter with your sexy broad chest half opened in her presence or are you?" Leo said sharply which made Dave burst into a deep round of laughter.

"You amuse me. Alright I'll button up. Just make sure you don't intimidate me with your pot belly in there else.." Dave said as he began to close the top buttons of his oversized loosed shirt. He usually wore loose-fitting clothings to sleep and that included the trousers.

"Watch your words boy I have no pot belly and I would be younger than you if not for these grey hairs on my face. Just remember your part of the bargain" he reminded before leaving the room before Dave.

Dave only chuckled at the funny man that just left his room in a long rob. Of course he had to keep to his own part of the bargain since he wanted him to do the same.

They went into the main compound which was so fabulous at night as compared to the daytime and it looked nothing like any house off an island. There were light bulbs which stood at every corner and Dave concluded that they must be using energy from the sun since he had not come across any electric pole on the island before. The lights were situated at every angle and they lit up the entire compound. And true to his thoughts, everything there was all about solar energy as even the roofs of the buildings which were covered with solar panels seemed to shine in the dark. That was his first time of seeing the full beauty of the entire compound at night and he couldn't help but appreciate the great efforts put in creating such magnificent infrastructure.

Leo opened the door of the living room and walked in with Dave behind him. The living room was spacious and elegantly constructed. The walls and floor were made out of wood and it looked just like a country home with moderate decorations. The furnitures were simple yet exceptionally elegant. Everything in the living room spoke of a low-key or surreptitious wealth. Everyone stopped what they were doing just to look at them after noticing their presence. Noella and Mirabella seemed more surprised.

"Dave!" Noella was the first to mention his name in that sweet melodious voice. She was in a white robe which looked like a casual night dress and her beautiful dark hair fell on her shoulders which made her look more angelic.

"You- You're here?" She asked before turning to look at her father.

"Yes, and he has been here for twenty four hours now" Leo said, walking over to have a seat.

"And we weren't aware?" Mirabella asked. For the first time, she was not wearing a long face as a result of his presence. She was also in a light blue robe and Dave couldn't help but wonder if it was a family tradition for everyone to wear long robes at dinner.

"Father what is going on? Dave, is he perchance forcing you to stay here against your will?" Noella asked the duo at the same time. She seemed to be getting agitated.

"Ella what are you doing where are your manners? Is that a way to treat our guest?" Leo said as a way of indirectly cautioning her from making a fool of herself in the presence of the very person he seemed to hinder from coming close to her.

She became quiet and Dave continued to stand where he had stopped earlier with an adoring smile which seemed hidden yet lingering around his lips. He was adoring the angel in human form who stood distances away from him as he somehow enjoyef the wity-banter between father and daughter. He would admit that she was the only person who stood a chance of winning against him in any challenge.

"You couldn't even offer him a seat first. Fine then let me clear all your doubts. Dave here is the son of one of my late friends. His Dad and I were the best of friends in college so Dave is also like a son to me. Now tell me, is it a crime for Dave to visit us here?" He said then picked up a berry from the table and threw it in his mouth.

"Let Dave confirm that himself" Noella folded her arms and focused her gaze on him while waiting for a confirmation of the claim. Dave however couldn't help but get lost in those beautiful starry eyes of hers.

"Yes. He is telling you the truth. I came here on my own free will to visit and I'll be staying for a week. Hope I'm welcomed?" He finally responded while still holding onto her gaze. Her countenance didn't show that she believed it however.

"For a whole twenty four hours, and you couldn't ask of me. Where were you even?" She began in an annoyed state but Mirabella called Dave to take a sit and not mind her sister.

Dave took a sit beside Mirabella as Ella sat opposite him still feigning annoyance to the fact that he had been around but didn't bother to check on her. Leo sat at the head of the table and Adrian sat beside Ella. He was also in his own fitted robe which had the same grey color as his grandfather's.

Dave was officially introduced into the family by Leo who was the head of the house and everyone finally welcomed and accepted the fact that he was not only a guest but also a new member of the family.

When supper ended, Leo went into his chambers and bid everyone goodnight, not without a secret sign he threw at Dave to always remember their deal. Dave got talking with Mirabella and Adrian. They began to get acquainted with each other and he discovered that they all seemed friendly and loving the more he got to know them.

Noella sat at a distance away from them and did not participate in the conversations. She wanted to draw his attention to her as she continued with her act of being annoyed. Never did she know that she controlled his attention even when she did nothing. From time to time, his gaze met hers unexpectantly and each time it happened, she quickly took her eyes away. She felt an unusual wave of emotion anytime he looked at her. Dave wished she had not distanced herself from the group and sometimes he said something intentional during the conversations just to gain her attention, something that attracted her senses and she always smiled from where she sat.

When it was finally time for everyone to go to bed, Ella offered to walk him to his chamber. After remembering the warnings of her father and the deal they had, he declined it but she insisted. He wondered what her father would think or say when he finds out, but she was only going to walk him to his room and nothing more. Besides he couldn't say no to her and he didn't intend to do anything out of the ordinary with her.

As they walked so slowly in the silence of the night, none of them wished to reach the said place on time because it would mean the end of the moment.

"So this is it" she said when they finally reached the door of his room.

"I guess" he replied, leaning halfway on the door as he folded his arms.

"Permit me to say goodnight at this juncture" she said again.

Though he felt disappointed because he was hoping she would insist on staying for a while more, he also had to let her leave for the sake of the reason he was there.

"Ohh...alright then, do have a good night's rest" he said before turning to open the door but then she held his arm.

"Dave please, just a minute" she said in that gentle tone.

"What is it?" He asked softly, in turn taking her hand in his.

"I need you to be really honest with me, please I beg you" she said in a low soft tone. He turned round to face her fully as he tried not to get lost in those eyes once more.

"Are you...are you really doing this out of your own free will? Or could it be that my father is secretly blackmailing or forcing you for some reason? I mean what is really going on? I need you to count on me" She said looking directly into his eyes.

She pleaded with her eyes, she was worried and afraid for him. He felt guilty at the fact that she was seeking for his safety while he has been keeping something big away from her knowledge and that's his true identity. Would she begin to hate him the moment she found out? His heart only twitched at the thought of it.

"Believe me, everything he had said back there was the truth. I'm here on my own free will because I want to learn new things from your father and also to know more about my own father through him. But I'm here especially because of you, I want to get closer to you and also to know you more" he whispered while gently rubbing her hand that was still in his.

A smile played around her lips which gladdened his heart.

"So do you believe me now?" He said in the same whisper and she nodded. Her eyes lit up and he knew that the light he saw in them was genuine.

She looked down when he couldn't stop staring at her eyes but again he raised her chin back up to look at him.

"I missed you so much Ella"

When she didn't reply, he raised his other hand to rub her cheek with his fingers and also to move back the locks of hair which lingered on her face. She shivered lightly before closing her eyes when his fingers moved lazily behind her ears and he became totally lost in her beauty.

"I missed you more Dave" she whispered when she opened her eyes. They spent the next few seconds drowning in each other's concealed affection as their hearts beat in unison. He wanted to reach out to her, to pull her into his embrace and caress her but he had to restrain himself for a reason. She on the other hand was not sure if being overly assertive was the right thing to do.

"Good night, we'll see tomorrow" she said and took a step back but Dave didn't let go of her hand.

She flashed him that amazing smile with her long lashes sweeping across her face.

"Let go of my hand Dave" she smiled. When he finally let her hand slip out of his, she waved her goodbye before walking away. He stood in front of the door and watched her until she was out of his sight.

With the level in which she affected him so much. He only wondered if he would be able to put up with that deal he had, given the fact that he would be seeing her almost everyday.