Beautiful Disaster (Complete)

3. Drowning

Chapter 3. 

     The Cade Mansion has been owned by the Cade family for over generations, along with the famous name of Cade Bank in Virens City—or even in the whole country.

     Leanne has been working inside the mansion for almost eight months since her last conversation with G-boss, and in that period of time her job position in the mansion is already settled.

     Mr. Calvin Cade has trusted her to be his first head-assistant in the house. At the beginning her priority job was to assist the only daughter that Calvin’s has, it didn’t take a long time for her to earn Calvin’s trust and be excellence in her job, her skills are exceeding the others—considering she’s the only employee with the bachelor degree in the house.

     That day in Cade Mansion, Cheryl’s stepmom throws a playdate party—her ‘socialized-playdate’ to be exact. She has invited all her own friends with kids and pets, but not one of them is Cheryl’s friend. In fact, Leanne happened to know that Sharon’s motivation in throwing the party in Cade Mansion is to “show” how big, and classy it is.  

    Cheryl had lost her mom in a car accident when she was three years old, and a year later Calvin re-married with Sharon Gold who happens to be Cheryl’s nanny at that time. Leanne always wondering about what was on Calvin’s mind when he married her, or maybe Sharon were too good at hiding her ambition from him. Because for Leanne, it’s very clear that Sharon loves for the money overgrown her love for her husband or stepdaughter.

    “Leanne, I don’t feel like swimming today..” said Cheryl Cade—Calvin’s daughter who’s six years old, she’s sitting on the pool bench listlessly.

    “Well.. you don’t have to swim.. you can just sit around and plays with the pets.” said Leanne comforting her.

    The swimming pool party will get started soon, the sides of the pool were already crowded with guests and their pet-dogs. Sharon asked for Cheryl to join the party, so she can take credits or in acts for being her beautiful-perfect-mom, without even think about Cheryl’s want. Cheryl and Leanne are not much of a crowd people, Leanne can understand Cheryl’s feeling at the time, especially when wherever she looks at are adults in their bikinis.

    Leanne bend down to the same level with Cheryl’s face, she put down the tray on the table beside the bench, and slightly touch Cheryl’s chubby cheek.

    “Hey, tell you know what.. Just hanging there for a while, throw some smiles, say hi to a few guests here and there.. after that, I’m going to take you back inside.. Okay..?” said Leanne gesturing her words to cheer her up.

    Cheryl smiled, looking at Leanne. “When I said a few guests, I meant the furry ones.” Leanne whispered while pointing her a fluffy dog near them, followed by her giggles.

    Meanwhile, Leanne unintentionally looked inside to the prior dinning room through the glass-sliding-doors, she noticed every guest who’s about to come.

    Even though she can’t see a clear view about the guest, but she can tell that Calvin is talking with some guy. Taller than him, his look is way more casually-reckless than Calvin, but even from a far Leanne can see the resemblance between them two.

    Axel Cade Enders gave his younger brother--Calvin a hug inside the mansion. They haven’t met for some time, busy with their own life. They’re embracing each other along with warm smiles, and happiness showed on their face.

    “Finally! I can’t believe you finally came here!” said Calvin.

    “What do you mean? I’ve come here all the time.”

    “Yeah, right!” said Calvin with his judging face.

    “Well—every time I’ve got the chance! Hey—you do realise there are so many bad guys to catch out there, right?!” He said before added. “Oh—like you’re not occupied with your works at all time!” Ace punch his brother arm, made Calvin grunt in his smile.

    “Aren’t you supposed to protect and serve people..?” he complaint.

    “Hey-- I’m off duty.” Ace said while smiling and lifting his both hands, bragging his day off.

    “That’s your friend?” Calvin is referring to a german-shepard dog who’s sat down beside where Ace is standing.

    “Yes. This is One, he’s my friend from K9 unit, he’s on holiday too.” said Ace, giving One a rub on the head. “Want to see his attack mode..?”

    “Ha ha! Very funny!”

    Ace finally took his attention looking outside to the pool area, through the dining room’s glass door. His eyes caught on the auburn-red hair girl who’s with Cheryl.

    “Who is that?” he asked Calvin.

    “Who?” Calvin following to where his brother’s looking. “Leanne? That’s my ‘house-secretary’.. And – please-- don’t even think to mess with her. It is VERY hard to look for another hard-worker like she is.”

    “Since when did you needed a secretary at home?” said Ace a little bit sceptic.

    “Since I have to deal with everything—especially our family’s empire, all by myself.”

    Here we go again. – Ace thought inside. He couldn’t bear the vision of leading the same life as Calvin has-- to continue the family’s business. All the family’s status,--or the way people respect them only because of the status.

    Ace love his own life-- to be a SWAT officer, to help people, keeping them safe and to feel every thrills and excitement in every mission. No one has ever replaced his priority in SWAT, not even every woman who’s ever sleeps with him.

    Ace is about to reply his brother, when Cheryl agitatedly knocking the glass door from outside. Ace opened the sliding door right away, followed by Cheryl jump inside the room while still crying.

    “Baby what’s up?!” asked Ace in surprised, since Calvin and him haven’t figure out what goes wrong.2

    “Hurry!! You must HELP Leanne!! She fell into the pool-- She can’t swim!!”

    A moment before Leanne fell into the pool, she was just telling Cheryl that she’s going to put the tray with the drinks on the pool bar. When she walked near the edge of the pool, some of the big dogs ran pass through her legs. With her focus on avoiding the crowd—who can accidentally tip over her tray—and her heels is not helping much either, she just lost her balance.

    She fell to the water and she takes her tray with her. Nobody is in the pool, since the party hasn’t begun yet, and the crowd just laughs at her. Even when most of them saw her panic hands, or her effort to keep her head on the surface.

    Leanne just hoped that eventually one of them will realized that she’s drowning.

    When at the same time, she felt a strong arm circling her waist, dragged her to the ledge, and pulling her out from the water.

    When her saviour pushed her waist to help her climb the ledge of the pool, Leanne instantly crawling away from it and lied her back down on the grass. The people starting to give her some space, while the others are minding their own business like nothing happened.

    Leanne’s still panting and trying to calm her breath for a second.