CHAPTER 23
2097 Words
Perv’s POV
"DOES this look good on me, Hon?" Saphire asked, holding a dress in front of her and eyeing herself in the mirror.
I leaned against a nearby rack, watching her with a smirk. "Everything looks good on you," I said, my voice laced with admiration.
She chuckled, shaking her head. "You're just saying that."
I was already carrying the clothes she had picked out. I had grabbed a few things for myself too.
"This is the last one, I swear," she said with a playful grin before disappearing into the dressing room with the final dress.
I waited outside, tapping my fingers against my arm. She wasn’t in there long before stepping out, her choice already made.
"I'm taking this one," she declared, reaching out to grab the other clothes from me.
I pulled them back slightly. "I'll carry them. You shouldn’t be lifting heavy things, Hon. You're pregnant," I reminded her.
She rolled her eyes, laughing softly. "Oh, please. I don’t even have symptoms yet."
I just smiled, letting her think she had a point, and led her to the counter.
As we placed our selections on the counter, the cashier began scanning Saphire’s items first.
"Would you like to put everything under one transaction?" the cashier asked politely.
"Yes," I answered before Saphire could say anything. She turned to me, about to protest, but I had already made the decision.
When the total popped up on the screen—₱156,899—she instinctively reached into her bag for her wallet. But before she could take it out, I had already handed my black credit card to the cashier. It was the one Jims had given me when he visited my condo.
"Hon, I can—"
I placed a hand over hers gently. "It’s fine. Let me." I gave her a reassuring smile.
The cashier swiped my card, and the moment the transaction went through, she suddenly froze. Her eyes widened, and then, to my surprise, she bowed deeply in front of me.
"Young master," she said with the utmost respect.
Saphire blinked, obviously caught off guard by the sudden shift in behavior. She turned to me, confusion written all over her face.
"It’s okay," I told the cashier in a calm voice. "Just continue with what you were doing."
"O-of course," she stammered before nodding quickly and finishing up the transaction.
After collecting our shopping bags, I reached for Saphire’s hand and intertwined our fingers, leading her out of the store. But even as we walked, she kept glancing up at me, clearly still puzzled.
"Let’s grab a quick bite," I suggested, gently guiding her toward McDonald's before she could bombard me with more questions. Since we had just eaten breakfast, I figured something light from McDonald's would be enough to tide us over without ruining our appetite for lunch.
She sighed but let it go for now.
Once inside, I led her to a cozy sofa seat. "What do you want, Hon?" I asked.
"Anything’s fine," she replied, resting her elbow on the table and eyeing me curiously.
I smirked before heading to the counter, ordering two Coke floats, two burgers, two servings of fries, and two spaghetti meals. I considered ordering more but decided to start with this in case we didn’t finish everything.
Carrying the tray back to our table, I set it down and took a seat across from her. She was still looking at me, her lips slightly parted in thought. I simply smiled. She smiled back, though I could tell her curiosity was eating away at her.
Halfway through our meal, she finally broke the silence.
"Hon?" she started.
"Yes?" I answered, taking a bite of my fries.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," I said, sipping my Coke float.
She hesitated for a second before speaking. "Why did the cashier call you ‘young master’?"
I could tell she had been dying to ask.
I set my drink down and leaned back slightly, my eyes meeting hers.
"My real name is Pervince Tristan Olivander Wilm Thellerius Zeajan Amadel Beaurlington," I told her, watching her closely.
Her eyes widened in shock. "You mean… you’re the lost son of the Beaurlington family?"
I gave her a small nod.
"Are you really—?" She still looked stunned, struggling to process it.
I simply smiled and reached for my wallet, pulling out a few cards and a family photo, sliding them across the table for her to see.
She picked up the picture with slightly trembling fingers. "But… why?" Her voice softened. "Why are you here, living the way you do?"
I leaned in slightly, my expression turning serious. "Because, Hon… some things are more important than a last name or a fortune."
She stared at me, searching for the deeper meaning behind my words.
And I knew she wasn’t going to stop until she got every answer she was looking for.
I let out a deep sigh.
"Five years ago, my parents cast me away because of something I did back in London," I confessed, my voice low and heavy. "Just this week, they found me again… but I pushed them away. My anger toward them hasn’t faded."
She reached out, gently taking my hands in hers, her warmth seeping into my skin.
"Why? What happened?" she asked softly. "You can tell me everything now. No secrets, okay?"
I nodded, drawing in a breath to steady myself before finally saying it.
"I slept with the prime minister's daughter."
Her eyes widened, lips parting slightly in shock. "Wait… does that mean you already have a child?"
I shook my head. "She had a miscarriage," I said quietly.
She swallowed hard. "Why?"
"She fell down the stairs," I admitted.
For a moment, she was silent, as if carefully choosing her next words. And then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she asked, "Do you still love her?"
I could hear the unspoken fear in her tone—that maybe I had only chosen her to fill the void someone else had left.
I offered her a small, reassuring smile. "Like I told you when you first interviewed me—I’ve never had a girlfriend before. You’re my first… and I want you to be my last."
Her lips parted slightly, but I continued before she could say anything.
"I never loved that woman. She begged me to be with her, but I refused. So when she realized I would never return her feelings, she asked for one thing—that I give her a child. In exchange, she promised to leave me alone. And so… I did."
She let out a breath she had probably been holding.
I reached out and cupped her cheek, my thumb tracing gentle circles on her soft skin.
"This is why you didn’t want me to publicly acknowledge you as my boyfriend, isn’t it?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
I gave her a small smile. "I want to be the one to introduce you to the world as my girlfriend… but not just yet, okay?"
She smiled back, nodding in understanding.
I stood up, leaning down to press a lingering kiss against her lips. People around us started staring, but I couldn’t care less.
Once we were outside, she turned to me with curiosity dancing in her eyes.
"Hon, why didn’t you go home to your house here in the Philippines?"
I scoffed. "Because my parents' security guards are stationed there. And when my parents visit the country, that’s where they stay. I don’t want to see them… or talk to them."
She hummed in response, as if contemplating my words.
I chuckled. "But if you want to see my house, I can take you there now."
Her face lit up instantly. "Really?"
I smirked. "Really."
"Where is it?" she asked excitedly.
"Villa Kristene, in Makati."
She gasped. "Wait, I’ll call Jims so he can pick us up," she said, fishing for her phone.
I shook my head, already pulling out my private phone—the one only a few people knew about.
As I dialed Jims, she spoke up again.
"Hon?"
"Yes, Hon?"
"Change your number, okay? The one on your other phone."
The line started ringing. I glanced at her and nodded. "Okay," I said with a small smile before turning my attention back to the call.
"Young Master, good day!" Jims sounded a little too enthusiastic to hear from me.
"Pick us up at the mall. You know the place, and you know which car to bring," I instructed.
"Yes, sir," he confirmed before I ended the call.
I turned to Sapphire, taking her hand in mine. She looked up at me with a small smile.
"Let’s wait at Pizza Hut," I said. She nodded, and we made our way inside.
After ordering something to snack on, we settled into our seats.
"So… when we get to my house, I want us to spend the night there," I said casually before taking a bite of my pizza.
She tilted her head at me, amused. "And what about work tomorrow?"
I chuckled. "You’re the manager. You can do whatever you want. I’ll just text Rex later and let him know."
"Rex… that’s your friend at the shop, right?" she asked.
"Yeah."
She nodded. "Should I tell him everything?"
I smirked. "Sure, but no censored parts, okay?"
She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Deal."
I reached over and wiped a bit of sauce from the corner of her lips with my thumb, watching as her cheeks tinted pink.
We continued eating, our conversation flowing freely from one topic to another. But when I asked about her modeling career, that was where our focus shifted.
"Hon?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"Have you ever thought about trying modeling? Or maybe even acting?"
I raised a brow. "Why? Do you want me to?"
"Modeling, yes. Acting? Absolutely not," she said firmly. "I wouldn’t be able to handle seeing you kiss someone else on screen. And don’t even get me started on the behind-the-scenes drama."
I let out a low chuckle. "In short, you don’t want to get jealous?" I teased.
She shot me a glare, but I simply reached over and pinched her cheek.
"If you get caught, will you be mad? Because I’ll kiss you right here," I warned, smirking.
She gasped. "You’re impossible," she huffed before taking a sip of her Coke, clearly trying to hide her blush.
I laughed at her reaction, but my attention drifted toward the glass wall of the restaurant. That’s when I spotted Jims arriving.
"Hon, he’s here," I said.
"Huh?" She stood up instantly. "Where?"
I pointed outside, where Jims was waiting.
"Let’s go?" I asked, grabbing our shopping bags.
As we stepped out of the mall, Jims and his men immediately bowed in greeting. A few people around us started whispering and staring. Luckily, our sunglasses helped keep our identities hidden.
Jims quickly straightened up and opened the limo door for us.
Sapphire gasped when she saw the car. "A limo?" she asked, grinning as she turned to me.
I smirked. "Yes. A limo for my special someone."
Before she could respond, I leaned in and kissed her softly.
Luckily, Jims hadn’t entered yet—otherwise, he would’ve witnessed it.
Moments later, Jims got in the front seat, along with the driver.
"Jims," I called.
"Yes, Young Master?"
"Keep the privacy screen closed and the intercom off," I instructed.
"Yes, sir," he confirmed before sealing us off from the front.
Sapphire raised a brow. "What was that for?" she asked, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
I leaned closer. "Why do you ask questions when you already know the answer?"
She shot me a warning glare. "No. Nope. We are NOT doing anything here," she declared, swatting my hand away.
I chuckled, finding her resistance adorable. "You’re so beautiful when you argue with me," I murmured.
"Ugh! You’re impossible!" she huffed, taking another sip of her drink.
I reached for her, gently guiding her head to rest against my shoulder.
"You’re the only one who’s ever changed me," I murmured, running my fingers through her hair.
"Really?" she whispered, almost shyly.
"Yes. That’s why I fell for you so fast," I admitted before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
She let out a quiet sigh, placing her hand over my chest before nestling her face against my shoulder.
"Get some rest, Hon," I murmured.
And just like that, she closed her eyes, her warmth settling against me like she belonged there.
- Writer
