Chapter 5 Date with Haven

Chapter 5

Asher's POV

We started eating in silence. I could see her stealing glances at me, smiling as if she had won whenever I avoided her gaze.

She is a commoner and an illegitimate child.

I knew it just by looking at her. If you observe closely, she has some of Giovanni's features.

Her movements are clumsy. She doesn't know the meaning of etiquette, though she's trying to blend into this society.

But no matter how much you dress up trash, it remains trash.

You can always tell where someone comes from, and no amount of preparation can change that overnight.

However, despite being a commoner and lacking etiquette, she is smart.

Smart enough that I would call her dangerous.

She gathered that information from just a short conversation?

And her adaptability-

She's not looking at the pianist but at the people below us. She's mimicking their movements. As time passes, she's improving.

Her posture, the way she uses utensils, the way she holds the wine glass-even the way she speaks.

She is beautiful and intelligent. But that's not what I need.

I need someone with a name and a title.

"You know, this is boring," she suddenly said.

I looked up at her. She smiled.

I quickly looked away.

She has a beautiful smile.

"Let's go on a real date. You know, a movie? A trip to the mall? Eating out?"

"This isn't a date," I snapped, my tone harsher than intended. I was too used to talking to Paul. "Uh... Sorry." I shook my head, avoiding her gaze.

Why aren't you looking at her?!

"Exactly! We're getting married, so we should go on dates! I can clearly see you're not having fun. Tomorrow, I'll pick you up."

Wait. What?

Asher's POV

"She is Giovanni's illegitimate child," Paul announced as he entered my office.

He stopped in front of me and placed a folder on my desk. I had Zia investigated to be sure, and I wasn't surprised by what Paul had found.

I took the folder and opened it.

"She's the eldest. Giovanni got a wh*re pregnant, which resulted in Zia. Fifteen years later, she showed up at Giovanni's doorstep. Until recently, they didn't even have a proper relationship."

I scanned the file.

Maria Zia Salazar, 28 years old. Single. Filipino.

She's not even using her father's last name. That only means Giovanni never acknowledged her. I understand that. In this country, having an illegitimate child is a disgrace to the family. No stepmother would accept one.

She grew up in the slums. A high school graduate but never went to college.

"Normally, this kind of information wouldn't be accessible since Giovanni spent a fortune to hide her identity, but Law owes us one."

Law is the best investigator in the country. He's in debt to us, which made it easy to get this information.

"She's a scandal. She'll ruin your reputation-the name you've worked so hard to protect."

I looked up at Paul. He was right. That's exactly what I planned to do when I met with Zia today.

I would tell her what I found out, make her admit that Giovanni was just using me-and punish her for it.

I hate liars.

Her sweet talk, her pretty smile, her beautiful face-none of it would work on me. I've seen countless women like her. They never even stood a chance of catching my attention.

"Are we leaving?"

I closed my eyes briefly and calmed myself.

She was beautiful at night. But now, under the sun, she was even more stunning. Wearing a fitted shirt and jeans, her curves were clearly visible.

I took a deep breath and regained my composure.

She actually came to pick me up, just like she said she would. We were outside my mansion, standing by the door, with her smiling excitedly as if looking forward to today.

"Where's your ride?" I asked, noticing there was no car behind her.

She grinned and patted the small motorcycle beside her.

"No."

I turned my back immediately.

I am not riding a cheap motorcycle.

What else could I expect from someone who grew up in the slums?

"Asher! Come on! We'll be stuck in traffic if we take a car," she reasoned.

I was about to head upstairs to my office when Paul blocked my way.

"Sir, you need to end things with her," he whispered.

Oh, right.

I glanced at the door. She wasn't following me.

That's it?

Are you giving up already?

Just a little resistance, and you're done?

That was fast.

I marched back outside but stopped when I saw her talking to a child.

"You're new. Why are you here? How can someone like you be here?" Haven asked, pointing at Zia.

"Don't worry, you'll be seeing me here every day from now on," Zia replied smugly, a proud grin on her face.

"Are you a thief?"

"Would a thief be standing outside in broad daylight?"

"A new maid?"

Zia laughed. "Even better. I'm going to marry the owner of this mansion, which means I'll own this place too!" She stretched her arms wide, as if claiming the entire estate.

She smiled like she had just won the lottery.

Is she serious?!

I'm not giving her a damn thing!

"Oh? A pink motorcycle! Is this yours?" Haven ran toward the bike, eyes filled with admiration.

"Yaaazzz. Pretty, right?"

"I wanna ride it!"

"Sure! Next time, though. I need to take my husband on a date first."

"But I wanna ride it now! Please!" Haven pleaded, using puppy-dog eyes. I shook my head.

No one is falling for that. Not even Zia-

I saw her expression soften as she panicked slightly.

"Alright! I'll just tell my husband we'll go on our date next ti-" She turned around but stopped when she saw me. Her smile grew wider.

"Oh! Asher, you're back!"

"Let's go now," I ordered, shooting a glare at Haven. He glared back at me.

Spoiled brat.

"I wanna come too!" he said to Zia.

She'll refuse. Haven will ruin our date. No one wants a child tagging along. Kids are annoying-everyone says so.

"Sure!"

I was stunned. Zia immediately grabbed Haven's hand.

"Where are your parents? I'll ask for their permission."

"Yaaay!" Haven cheered before turning to point at me. "Asher!"

Zia looked at me. "Oh? He's your brother, Ash?" she asked.

Haven squirmed excitedly, jumping around while holding onto Zia, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Are you sure you want him to come?" I asked.

"Of course! He's your brother. It's only right that he gets to know me too."

We ended up riding her motorcycle. She drove like a pro.

She effortlessly passed other vehicles, and just like she said, we quickly got out of traffic.

We arrived at the mall in no time.

"That was fun! I wanna ride again!"

"Later, when we go home. Wanna watch a movie? What do you want to see?"

I frowned when she asked Haven.

"I want to see the latest Disney Princess movie."

"That's for girls," I remarked. A boy his age, and yet his favorite movies were Disney Princess films.

"You're just jealous," he said, turning to Zia.

Zia laughed and took Haven's hand like it was the most natural thing to do.

We entered the mall, and the two immediately headed to the toy store to pick out something for Haven.

"Boss, we're here," I heard through my earpiece.

It was Paul, keeping watch.

"Okay."

I walked into the toy store and saw them in the stuffed animals section, surrounded by pink plushies.

"I want this one!" Haven said, grabbing a Hello Kitty stuffed toy.

"We should check the other side, where the robots are."

"No! I want this one!" he insisted, sounding spoiled.

"What are you, gay?" I blurted out.

"I hate you, Asher!"

"You don't really wanna go there," I said, annoyed.

"Just let him have it," Zia interrupted. "We can buy a robot too, so Haven has options."

"I don't want a robot!"

"Okay," Zia chuckled at Haven's reaction but still led him to the boys' toy section.

Haven panicked and tried to pull his hand away, but Zia held firm.

"I said I don't want a robot!"

"Don't assume, Haven. This one's mine," Zia said as we stopped in front of the remote-controlled trucks.

"Kuya!" she called a store clerk, pointing at a truck she liked.

"Can we try this one? And that helicopter-does it actually fly?"

"Ah, yes, ma'am. Would you like to test it?"

"Yes, please." Zia turned to me and held out her hand toward Haven. "Hold Haven for a second."

I glanced at Haven's hand in Zia's before reluctantly taking it.

The moment I touched his hand, a shiver ran down my spine. Haven, on the other hand, was completely focused on Zia as she controlled the truck with the remote.

"This is amazing! It's so fast! Wow!" Zia exclaimed excitedly.

I glanced at Haven, whose expression was shifting-like he was starting to get curious.

"Do you wanna try, Haven?" Zia asked, offering him the remote.

Haven eagerly nodded, grinning. He let go of the Hello Kitty plushie and took the remote from Zia's hands. She patiently guided him.

"You're doing great! You're even better than me!"

That day didn't feel like a date between me and Zia-it felt more like a day for her and Haven. They did everything they enjoyed together, laughing and having fun. I felt like a third wheel, trailing behind them to their favorite movie, their favorite food, and the arcade.

Even though I didn't actively participate in anything they did, I felt an immense sense of joy. Seeing Haven happy made me feel like I had fulfilled something today.

This moment made my day-one of those memories I would cherish for years to come.

By the time we got home, it was already late. I carried Haven, who had fallen asleep during the ride, and handed him over to the housemaid.

I turned to Zia, who was still looking at Haven with a soft smile on her lips.

A genuine one.

"I know everything about you. Stop pretending." My voice was cold. I knew she understood what I meant.

To Be Continued...