Chapter 3 Their Promise

Cassie woke up feeling refreshed. She has been without sleep for two days thinking on how to resolve her problems. She ran away from home on the day of her wedding. How she did it was beyond her imagination. She always abides by the rules. She obeyed her parents and prided herself for being righteous in every way.

After her argument with her mother, she called her best friend Sammy to tell her about her plan. She will run away. She asked her if she can help her get out of the country without being traced. Her family and Miguel's family are very influential. They have connections everywhere and finding her will just be easy when they find out that she was missing.

It was fateful that Sammy's boyfriend will go to the USA the next morning. His flight via his private jet was at 5 am. All Cassie had to do was get out of their estate and into the private hangar where the jet will be departing from.

This is the best solution since she cannot book a regular flight and go to the airport without being discovered. Her face has been plastered in all the magazines and society pages of the Spanish newspapers because of the wedding and the merger.

Cassie need to go to the hangar without being caught. Sammy instructed her to get out of their estate before dawn and a car will be waiting for her.

Security for her has been tight and she has a 24 hour guard outside her room. Her parents feared that she will do something drastic and they ensured that she will never be alone even inside the house.

It's a good thing she has a personal fridge inside her room and that she knew the guard that night and she was in good terms with him. She offered the guard a nightcap with her to celebrate her wedding the next evening, then gave him something to drink laced with grounded sleeping pills.

She thought it was easy. But it was nerve wracking. She put just the right amount of sleeping pills on the drinks but it took a while for the guard to get dizzy and fall asleep.

Going out of the house was arduous. There were no surveillance cameras inside the house since her parents valued their privacy. But outside the house, that is a different scenario.

She decided to wear all black and some comfortable shoes in case she need to run. At 2 am, she executed phase two of her plan. She went outside and wore the jacket and cap of the sleeping guard. She wore several sweatshirts inside the leather jacket just to have a bulky frame. The jacket, baggy pants and tied up hair inside the cap, with the proper lighting, could pass as the guard himself.

The house was dark and the yard outside was deserted but she knows that the cameras were moving and she need to act normally. With her plan, she realized she cannot bring anything with her except one small backpack under the jacket filled with her passport and identifications, her diary and some pieces of jewelry were all she took with her.

Without interruptions, she was able to go out of the house and into the front gate. She chose the darkest part of the grounds to walk on. She was looking for the perfect timing to go outside the gate. At some point, the two guards at the gate left their post, probably to get something to eat or drink. Cassie went out of the gate and walked up the driveway to their estate.

She was very lucky that as she walked up the road, she spotted the car. She knew that car because that's the car they used during high school. Sammy's sleek black convertible. She hopped inside to find her best friend. She was very grateful to her for helping her out. She was like her sister.

Sammy drove her to the hangar. It was painful to be separated from her but she doesn't have a choice. Before leaving, Sammy made her promise to be back after two years, with or without luck of finding a solution to her family's problem. Her best friend knew how much she valued her family and she thinks that after two years, the misunderstandings between her and her parents can be resolved.

Her bank accounts were controlled by her parents. The only money she has with her was the 5, 000 USD that her best friend lent her and the loose bills on her wallet. She cannot use her credit cards for fear of being traced by her parents. After a 12 hour flight, they arrived in California, she thanked Brent, Sammy's boyfriend and left. She did not know where to go; she just trusted fate to guide her.

The first night, she stayed in the cheapest hotel she can find while trying to figure out another plan. She was desperate and she need to find a job.

The cafe across the street from the hotel was the answer to her prayers. Or should she say, the person outside this cabin room?

Remembering Lance and his proposition made Cassie smile. She was never irrational and rash. She always has at least two plans for every decision that she makes. One is the main plan and the other is the backup plan. She doesn't have a choice at the moment but she will surely make sure that this trip of theirs will be for her advantage.

She decided to go outside and talk to her savior. But what she saw made her see him in a different light.

He was sad. He looked troubled and so deep in thought that he did not see her walk in. She stopped few paces from his seat just to get a good look at him. She was not sure where the feelings came from but a deep overwhelming desire to hold him, hug him and make him feel happy consumed her.

She resumed her way towards him when he looked up and their eyes met.

***

When Cassie and Lance's eyes met, it was magical. It seems to make time stand still. As they looked into each other's depth, they felt a pent up emotion waiting to be released. Lance waited for her to approach. He felt giddy and nervous and he doesn't understand why. He never felt this way before. Everything he was feeling with Cassie was new.

Cassie continued to approach him. She felt like she was floating towards him. A gravitational pull so strong that her feet moved involuntarily towards him. Never leaving their eye contact, she sat beside him.

"Hi. Did you sleep well?" He smiled at her. He cannot help but caress her face as he asked her.

"Yes. Thank you. Are you okay?" Shivers ran down her spine at the contact but she managed to smile and respond.

"Yes. I am okay now that you're here."

At those words, Cassie cannot help but give him her sweetest smile. And she heard Lance's intake of breath at that gesture.

Lance was caught off guard with her smile. It has such an effect on him. ?He was acting very strange whenever she was near him.

Regaining his composure, Lance pressed the button to signal the flight attendant to their seats.

"Yes Sir? How may I help you?" The attendant seemed to purr out the words to appear seductive. And Cassie cannot help but glare at her.

"You may serve our dinner." Lance replied without removing his gaze from Cassie.

"In a moment, sir." And the attendant left them with a flirtatious smile toward Lance who doesn't seem to notice.

But Cassie saw how the girl acted towards Lance and she felt like she wanted to claw out the attendant's eyes so she cannot look at him that way. She cannot look at him at all!

Lance saw the change in her expression and he wondered what was wrong.

"Cassie, are you alright? Dinner will be served early since we have not eaten anything before the flight. You must be hungry. This would be a 15 hour flight at the least. We may have to do some stop over to refuel but will stay mostly on this plane."

"Wow"

"What?"

"This must be the longest conversation we ever had." She teased him.

Lance cannot help but smile at her in response. He likes her this way. Playful and not so serious.

"I am hungry but now I feel better that I was able to sleep properly. Thank you." She smiled.

Lance looked away upon seeing her smile again. He cannot control his heartbeat that goes haywire each time she smiles at him.

"God, I am screwed." Lance muttered to himself as he looked away.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. Now, here's our food. Lets eat."

The attendant came in with a trolley bearing a five course meal. Wow. He really knows how to impress a girl. Cassie cannot help but think that this is a date, and she felt happy with just that thought.

They ate heartily without uttering any word. Sometimes, they will just catch each other's stares and just smile while resuming eating.

After dinner, they were sitting across each other in silence. An awkward tension emanates between them.

"So, please tell me where are we going?"

"To my island in the Philippines."

"Wow. Isn't that in Southeast Asia?"

"You sure know your Geography."

"When are we going back?"

"We haven't even arrived and you already want to go back?" He tried to tease her.

"No. It was just that I want to be prepared." He did not expect her to sound so serious.

"Prepared for what?"

Silence.

Lance saw the fear and hesitation in her eyes. She is very easy to read. He is beginning to see how she was feeling just by looking into her face and expressive eyes.

"What's wrong Cassie? Do you have a problem? Please tell me."

"Tengo una pero no tengo un plan de decirle. No quiero que te involucres. Puedes salir herido. Yo no quiero que te hagan da?o." I have one but I have no plan to tell you. I do not want you to get involved. You can get hurt. I do not want you to be hurt.

Cassie was not aware she answered in Spanish, her native language. She was so caught up with her thinking. She did not see his expression of utmost concern nor expected his response.

"No me importa si me lastimo. Lo único que importa es hacer que sus preocupaciones desaparezcan. No me gusta ver que usted miedo." I do not care if I get hurt. The only thing that matters is to solve your problems. I do not like seeing you scared.

"You speak Spanish? Why would you worry about me?"

"Yes I do speak Spanish. For your other question, honestly, I do not know the answer to that but I will make sure no one will ever harm you. Do not fear about me getting hurt, it is me who should worry about you. I will help you."

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me." Cassie's voice was soft and gentle but for the first time after the engagement was forced on her, she cried.

Lance was flustered seeing her cry. He never would want to see her cry and right now all he wanted to do was kill the bastard or whoever that was who made her feel this way.

She felt him get closer to her and engulfed her in his arms so that her face was pressed on his shoulders. She cried out all her fears, worries and hurt. She cried for her parents whom she knew are looking for her not because they care for her but because they care about the merger and their business. She cried for herself, for all the years trying to be the perfect daughter while sacrificing all her happiness. She cried in disappointment because even if she excelled in everything, she was not able to receive the one thing that she was aiming for. The love and acceptance of her parents.

"Shhhh... I will take care of you. I promise you that. This is the last time that you will cry. I will make sure of that Cassie. Please stop crying, you're breaking my heart."

Those words made Cassie cry even harder. How can this person care for her so deeply? They met only hours ago but she already felt the genuine care and concern from him. Something that she never felt from others aside from her best friend. She cannot deny that they already have a connection. She vowed in her mind that she will do the same thing for him. She will take care of him and ensure that she will make him happy, no matter what it takes.