Read with BonusRead with Bonus

3 - Decline

"Yes, but I can understand and speak Tagalog."

"Yeah," he rose up timidly, "Follow me, I'll show you your room. You look exhausted. I will re-ask you later."

She followed him with a nod. She will admit that she believes she is in love with a man whose name she does not know, but who cares? The key point is that she has moved away from the people who are pursuing her, and then she may consider her next move.

Jackylyn went into the large bed in the center of the cabin that the man had given her. Despite her exhaustion, drowsiness dragged her when she felt the sudden hammering of the waves. She then take a rest and sleep.

She was awakened from her slumber by the sound of melodic music coming from outside. It's a pleasure to hear a captivating voice singing and the guitar playing in unison, similar to her hero singer Dean Lewis's voice. She awoke unexpectedly and decided to go out. She is saddened every time she hears one of her favorite singer's songs since it reminds her of her late mother's.

She noticed the man's broadened back as it faced the water and sung tragically while holding the guitar. She couldn't help but adore him, especially because he had such a wonderful voice to listen to. She merely sat in the back, wiped away the tears that had started to fall, and listened to him sing.

She bit her lower lip. Her mother's love is something she misses, although her mother is long gone. It was killed.

Her mother took her to Mindanao when she was ten years old to get her away from her cruel grandfather. However, she witnessed several armed guys dressed in black shooting her mother inside their home just a month later. That day, she was so traumatized that she almost believed the armed man would kill her too.

Those armed guys then kidnapped her and transported her to a big mansion. That was the first day her personality as Jackylyn change permanently into something else.

Her eyes welled up with tears, and she let out a few cries. She is now alone and without a family, as her own family has been taken from her.

"I'm sorry for making you cry."

She brushed her tears away swiftly and smiled warmly. "I'm sorry for listening without permission; I'm going back inside..." she was about to turn around and return to the cabin when he invited her outside to join him for a moment.

She hesitated at first, but eventually gave in, remembering that she was traveling away from civilization and it was the owner of the yacht. She sat down next to him as a powerful breeze blew by her, making her already tangled hair much messier.

"Do you like to sing as well?"

She smiled and nodded. Singing, even if only the walls of her room can hear her, is one of her pastimes.

"Perhaps you could sing with me then," he said with a smile that revealed his white teeth.

She quietly sighed at what it did. Why is she being confronted with a Roman God today? With a gentle shake of her head, she expressed her dissatisfaction with her situation. She shouldn't be feeling this way towards a stranger at this moment.

It began plucking the guitar strings, and ot chose the song Ocean's Away from Arizona. She shyly smiled because she was familiar with that song.

She sang with the man with ease, as if they had known each other for a long time.

"You have a lovely voice."

The compliment she received from the man made her blush. She took a step back and diverted her look. "T-thank you."

"I promise, your voice is beautiful, and there is potential in it."

She only flashed a few smiles. She was also tempted to say something to him because his voice was so splendid, but she was shy.

"I'm Theon Willoughby," He extends his hand towards her.

"H-ha?" she asked, her gaze falling on his eyes and hand. Is it possible that she doesn't understand what he's trying to say, or is her mind simply too preoccupied in his presence?

"Call me Theon, and I'll call you Jacky," says Theon. He drew his hand away from her and replaced it on the guitar without her reaching for it.

Make her smile. Jacky? It appealed to her. No one refers to her as Jacky. Despite the fact that she had only recently seen and recognized him, she quickly became at ease with him.

Jackylyn had just realized she liked the man in front of her, despite the fact that she knew he already had a ring on his hand, indicating that he was married. It was as if half of her soul declared her desire for him, despite the fact that he was married. Perhaps she was relieved because the man was kind to her or she don't know!

"What are your plans after this? Do you want me to help you?" He later said as he took a break from playing the strings and looked at her.

"Right now, I'm considering leaving, but I appreciate the offer. This is something I'm capable of. That is sufficient for me to ride here." As the wind blew hard, she clutched herself.

He nodded and gazed out over the water. He just stared at it. She shyly smiled as she turned to face the man. She was overjoyed to finally meet Theon. When his phone rang, Theon stood for a moment and left her alone. Her gaze was drawn to him, and she examined the guitar that had been placed beside her. She took it and began to play with it. She enjoys music and, if she hadn't been imprisoned inside the mansion, she may today be a singer with her own record, which they release every year. She's always wanted to be a singer, but fate hasn't let her, so she's now in danger of losing her life.

She was able to kick the guitar while the song played in the background. She was already crying and wailing, and she didn't realize it. She goes through crying and then smiled after and this is one of her techniques of swiftly relieving the pain. She returned to the cabin and took a shower after Theon failed to return. She has to change her clothes because she is filthy. She feels a little self-conscious.

When she finished having a bath, she felt little relief. She was wearing lousy jeans and a white shirt. She then combed her hair with her own hands.

When she exited the cabin, she found Theon's room is open and he's standing in front of the enormous portrait. Even though she wasn't like this in real life, her curiosity suddenly worked. She peered into the portrait and noticed how lovely the woman was. The woman was smiling and her beautiful, curled hair made her appear like an angel. She admired Theon's wife's attractiveness, but a part of her wished for him that Theon is not a married man.

She went out and planned to use Theon's guitar to breathe outside. She sang a few songs when someone sat next to her and she spotted Theon's handsome face. She was shocked and flushed at the same time.

"I had no idea you could play string instruments. You have an amazing voice, and the sight of you playing the guitar adds to the ambience," he stated with a smile.

She bowed her head and thanked him. She returned the guitar, but he said she may borrow it. It even asked her to play a song. She was apprehensive at first, but eventually nodded. She aspired to be a singer, and Theon was the first person she performed for. She simply smiled as she took a deep breath. One of the reasons to try it was because they had done a duet earlier.

WHEN the surroundings rocked fiercely, Jackylyn awoke from her deep sleep. She dashed to one side, fearful that they would sink. She can't swim, and if she thinks about it, she's going to die.

"You're fucked!"

When she hurried out of the cabin looking for Theon, she heard this word. She was taken aback when she noticed a yatch ahead of her, which could be one of the reasons why the yacht shook earlier. It's similar to a collision.

"Hey, shey, watch your mouth, dope," a handsome man said with a happy face, effortlessly jumping aboard their yacht.

Jackylyn was astounded by the man's presence. She might have cheered as well if she hadn't controlled herself. It was as if its feet had wings and it landed on the floor, snatched Theon's cup, and drank and gnawed through all of the alcohol.

"How's your wife, Amara?"

What's up, Amara? She questioned herself. Even the name is lovely to hear, and she admits that she admires the woman's beauty, even in the photo she only viewed.

She kept staring at them while hiding to one side, not wanting them to see she was observing them.

"She's just as stunning as ever!"

He simply laughed and fixed his gaze on her hiding spot. She ducked swiftly, but she could hear footsteps approaching.

"Don't frighten her, Mordeccai. She's a runawa— "

"Bride?" he interjected before returning his attention to Theon.

She takes a big breath and exhales slowly. What is it about his voice that makes it so frightening? Not like Theon, whose voice is soothing and pleasant to hear? She made the impolite decision to return to the cabin and hide.

There was a knock on the door just a few minutes later. "Jacky?"

She opened it, nervous, and Theon smiled at her, but his blue eyes couldn't reach the smile he was showing her. Why does she read sadness?

"Perhaps you'd like to join me to my cousin's tempestuous moment? Don't worry, Attorney Mordeccai is a nice guy, albeit a little stern."

She gave a nod and followed Theon around the corner. He was completely topless, and she blushed when her eyes fell on his broad back. Its sultry appearance, particularly on its muscular arm.

For a brief period, she pinched herself. She should not act like this to someone who is already married and owned by someone else, and she is only staying on its yacht for a short time. She will then flee to a new location where no one will be aware of her true identity.

"Don't scare Jacky, Mordeccai," Theon told the man.

"I'm not scaring her." He responded.

When he focused his eyes on her, she felt as if Mordeccai was reading her entire essence.

"So, why did you run and hide?"

She took a deep breath and bowed in response to his query. Theon quickly stepped in and cracked a joke. The two laughed at the joke they only knew, and she had no idea what was going on.

"I'm assuming you're being forced to marry, right?"

Her eyes widened. If only that was the real reason she tried to escape. Apart from the married thing, there's a lot more. "N-no. Paatin paeta kotoa," she said, indicating that she had chosen to flee from home. She chose to speak in Finnish in order to avoid being understood.

He smiled and shrugged. "Anteeksi. Nauti lomastasi Theonin. Han on naimisissa oleva mies. Ala mene lankaan hanen charminsa vuoksi, kulta." Take advantage of your time with Theon. He's a good man but he is a happily married. Sweety, don't be deceived by his charm. The booze she was holding was then swallowed by him.

She couldn't speak because she blushed even more at what he said. She wasn't expecting him to speak the same language she did.

"I guess I'm the only one who doesn't get it here," Theon joked as he handed her a can of beer, which she politely declined.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter