UNFORSEEN
1305 Words
THIRD PERSON POV
"Is that true, child?" Mrs. Loretta asked with a genuine look of concern. Katherina looked at Joaquin, his gaze pointed at her forehead like a rifle fixed on its target, ready to fire.
Suddenly, Katherina's lips felt heavy, as if she couldn't bring herself to confess the truth to Mrs. Loretta. She guessed it must be due to her racing heart and the uncontrolled shaking in her limbs.
"It's true, ma'am. It was my idea," Katherina informed, bowing her head in shame at her lack of courage. Never before had she ever felt so weak.
Joaquin, on the other hand, let out a little breath of relief.
"Really now!!" Mrs. Loretta exclaimed, taking a step further in Katherina's direction, such that she was standing directly in front of her. She looked at Katherina, then at Joaquin, then back to Katherina, repeating the entire process multiple times with a confused look.
"Don't you think you can do better? Why are you settling for less?" Mrs. Loretta questioned with an unpleasant frown.
Katherina thought to herself, Guess insults do run in the family.
"Trust me, Grandma. She's not as bad as she looks. She is quite manageable if you know what I mean," Joaquin said in a down grading manner.
"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to her," Mrs. Loretta said with a serious expression.
Joaquin's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched, and Katherina couldn't help but burst into laughter. The tension in the room was palpable, and Katherina found it hilarious.
Katherina burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Joaquin frowned, unsure what was so funny.
"Way to go, Grandma, making my life harder than it already is," Joaquin thought to himself.
Grandma Loretta smiled warmly. "Ah, child, you have a beautiful laugh. I can see why Joaquin here has taken a liking to you."
Joaquin felt a surge of annoyance at Grandma's assumption, but he played along, not wanting to explain himself. He didn't know what to say. Grandma, she's not my girlfriend. She's just a chick who stole some illegal gold bars from me, and I'm keeping her captive until she repays me.
Grandma turned to him, a scolding expression on her face. "Joaquin, why didn't you introduce me to your...friend?" She glanced at the cuffs binding Katherina and him together. "I must say, I'm a bit disappointed in you. I didn't raise you to engage in such...sinful activities."
Katherina's laughter died down, and she looked at Joaquin with a mischievous glint in her eye. He could tell she was enjoying every moment of this.
"Grandma, I..." Joaquin started explaining, but she cut him off.
"No, no, Joaquin. I don't want to hear it. Just release the poor girl and take her downstairs. I'll make us some tea, and we can get to know each other better."
Joaquin hesitated for a moment, unsure what to do. But Grandma's expression brooked no argument, so he reluctantly released Katherina from the cuffs.
As they made their way downstairs, Katherina shot him a triumphant smile. Joaquin rolled his eyes, but a small part of him was relieved that Grandma had intervened. Maybe this would be the distraction he needed to get his head back in the game.
Three minutes in, and Joaquin already felt like dying from annoyance and embarrassment. Grandma was showing Katherina his baby pictures, and Katherina was laughing and cooing over them.
"Ah, finally, someone who can manage this stubborn boy," Grandma said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Joaquin shot Katherina a glare. "Grandma, please stop."
But Grandma just smiled. "So, tell me, dear, how did you two meet?"
Katherina looked up at Joaquin, unsure how much to reveal. But before she could open her mouth to embarrass him, Joaquin jumped in.
"We met a couple of months ago, at a convention. She was displaying the most beautiful handmade jewelry. Immediately, I saw her, my heart skipped a bit, and in that moment, I realized she was the one."
Joaquin wove a charming tale of their supposed meeting, and Grandma was all smiles. Katherina, on the other hand, was just seated next to him with an unpleasant frown and a confused expression on her face.
Grandma kept bombarding them with questions, and just as Joaquin thought she'd had enough, Grandma turned to Katherina and asked the most outrageous question.
"When do you plan to tie the knot? I mean, he's already eating your cake for free; he might as well pay for it."
Joaquin was taken aback. Katherina's eyes widened, and she looked at him hopeful for an answer, but unfortunately, he didn't know what to say.
She cleared her throat, stuttering, "Uh, w-we haven't discussed it."
And that was Joaquin's cue. "We're taking things slow, Grandma. We want to enjoy each other's company without rushing into anything."
Joaquin lied, kissing the back of Katherina's hand in a bid to convince her. Grandma shook her head disapprovingly.
"No, you are way too old for that. You two need to settle down. You can't keep endorsing pre-marital s*x. But just for formality's sake, you two can use a month or two to make up your minds."
Katherina tried to disapprove, but Joaquin cut her off. "Two months is perfect."
Grandma announced, "Two months it is."
Katherina squeezed his hand, and Joaquin could feel her tension. He knew she was thinking of a way to escape.
After a couple of hours, Katherina excused herself to use the restroom. Joaquin took the initiative to excuse himself, following her upstairs.
He found her in the bathroom, wrapped in a short white towel. Her hair was damp with water, her skin drained of color, and she must have just taken a shower.
The way the water ran down her body was so sexy, and the goosebumps all over sent shock waves of desire through Joaquin's veins.
"Look away, will you?" Katherina spat, turning away from him, consequently drawing Joaquin back to reality.
"Why weren't you answering?" Joaquin questioned, trying to get his manly hormones in check. His Lycan was on edge, and he feared he might take over any second now.
"I was taking a bath, obviously. Why are you here, anyway?" Katherina questioned, curious, as she turned to face him.
Joaquin's eyes locked onto hers. "We have a mission tonight."
Katherina's expression changed, and she looked at him with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "What mission? We can leave. Your grandma is here."
Joaquin's eyes narrowed. "Stop acting like a perfect little girlfriend, Grandma isn't here."
He took a step closer to Katherina, his blood boiling with rage. "Now listen up, Katherina. If you do anything to jeopardize this mission, I will kill you."
Just as Joaquin finished his threat, Grandma appeared out of nowhere, slapping him across the face.
"How dare you lay your hands on and threaten a woman?" Grandma asked, misinterpreting the entire situation as usual.
Joaquin's eyes widened in shock. "Grandma, it's not what you think."
But Grandma wouldn't listen. "Exactly, it's what I saw. You are as abusive as your late father."
Joaquin felt a pang of anger and hurt. His late father was his worst nightmare. He was a failure as a father and a person. Joaquin would rather die than be like him.
"Grandma, it's not what you think, Joaquin was just trying to explain something," Katherina intervened, trying to remedy the situation.
But Grandma wouldn't have it. "No child, don't cover up for this man. He doesn't deserve your kindness."
Grandma turned to Katherina, a warm smile on her face. "You know what, come stay with me in my room. You'll stay with me until my month-long vacation is over."
Joaquin's eyes widened in horror. Oh no, this can't be happening. How was he supposed to get hold of Katherina under such conditions?
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- Writer
