IN THE CAGE

106. HOLA..

...NORMAL pov...

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Eleanor-woman who often wears red as her icon-is walking side by side with Anggara Rashid. They entered the grounds of the Caspian family home, about to visit Indira. At least, that was Anggara's plan after he heard about Indira's situation from Fawn the other day. Anggara could not calm down if he did not see his sister in good condition.

Oh, about Eleanor, Anggara's female cousin came along with the excuse of being bored. Anggara took it in because she didn't like to hear Elle whining next to her like a broken radio.

"I haven't seen Indira in a long time, you know. That bastard Evan is so annoying. He shut Indira down just because Indira was his wife. It doesn't make any sense. Does a woman lose her freedom in making decisions when she is married? Can a woman make her own choices?"

"You don't know anything, Elle. Stop saying something that will end up only hurting you back." Anggara replied to Eleanor while slipping a warning there. He knew how outspoken Eleanor was and to be honest, that was not good. Honesty is only good when it is pleasant. If that honesty brings displeasure, it will only backfire.

"Now you'll set me up too. You guys are so great. You better lead this country." Eleanor grimaces cynically.

"Male or not, I'll keep telling you to shut up. Evan in there, the person we meet, is the one who has power over our family. You'd better keep the way you talk to her if you don't want to go back to living like you used to."

Anggara's point was a time when Eleanor had not yet returned and surrendered herself to the Rashid family. In the past, at least after Elle's mother chose to marry an ordinary man, Elle lived a very difficult life.

Poverty is one thing, but living the days of hearing the infighting his father and mother blamed on each other is another hell of a more terrible thing. Elle and her mother return to the Rashid family when her mother has succumbed to poverty.

Now, for the sake of not repeating the same life that her mother suffered, Elle tried hard to become an independent figure. That was also the reason why he became so obsessed with blaming men for the problems that were happening on this earth.

"I think our family relationship is based on cooperation, Angga. Why are you acting like a Caspian's lackey now?"

"The situation didn't go well."

"Ooh, is this because of Ace Hunter?"

"What do you know about Ace Hunter?" Anggara rolled his eyes. He felt that responding to Elle was just like wasting energy. But, unfortunately, this cousin of his did not want to stop talking.

"I know you're in a secret relationship with his family's bodyguards."

"..."

Elle laughed sinisterly as she managed to make Anggara stop stepping. "You don't think I'm a moron, do you? Angga, oh, Angga..., did we run out of women until you lowered your eyes to the woman whose castle was under my shoes?"

"Look at your words, Elle."

Elle wasn't listening. Where could he listen. "Why? Am I wrong in your eyes? That girl isn't even so pretty, Angga. You're so weird. You sold your brother to add wealth, but you yourself made no sacrifice but to be the mascot of our family."

"Elle, I don't want to talk about it here." Anggara held back his growl.

"I'm not going to talk about it here if you stop looking at me like a germ in your family, okay? I might just be a parasite that survives by sticking to your family, but I'm not stupid to not know what's going on in my host."

"If you're as smart as you say, you should understand not to cause trouble, Elle. Especially not to me. I'm your host now. If anything happens to me, there won't be anyone who can sustain you and your mother. Not even Jemaine Emery!"

"..."

"Now, be a good girl and keep your mouth shut!"

Elle was silent, but not a silence that meant resignation. He silenced with pettiness, underestimating Anggara. Elle did not consider Anggara's remarks to be enough of a threat to her, but she knew she could not continue fishing there. Not when now an Indira female bodyguard approached.

"Welcome, boss Angga." That bodyguard is Fawn. Fawn bowed respectfully to Anggara before raising her head and looking at Elle. "Welcome, Miss Eleanor."

"Where is Indira?" Eleanor jumped straight to the core.

"Miss Indira.., uh, she's in Mr. Evan's room."

"Huh, his brother came to visit him, and he instead languished in the room. That's not Indi at all." Eleanor responded with doubt. His eyes looked towards the Caspian family mansion with suspicion. "Is this Evan again? Did he forbid Indi to see his family?"

"Elle, do you remember what I said?" Anggara reprimanded him with patience that was already at the end of the hair.

"Do I seem to care what you say?" Eleanor chimed Anggara with a faint voice, like she was speaking to herself.

Fawn who heard Eleanor's words could only bow down and back down from before the two people. Fawn did not want to interfere. He already knows what kind of person Eleanor is and he knows how to get into someone's head and torture you with his words.

Fawn wasn't sure she could fight Eleanor if the girl fiddled with her head with a speech that might sound very hurtful. Anyway, the red lipstick girl was a venomous snake. Fawn was more than happy not to be his opponent or interfere with his line of sight.

"Fawn, do you know where Evan is?"

"Mr Evan is waiting for you in the greenhouse."

"I hear Maximillian now lives here. Is that true?" Elle asked.

"Yes, miss." Fawn nodded.

"Very pathetic. Did Evan become so incompetent that his father intervened to help him deal with the company's problems?" Eleanor is cynical.

Now, accompanied by Fawn, they walk hand in hand into the Caspian family mansion whose interior looks like a museum. Antique and abstract-style paintings stick to the ivory-colored walls. Eleanor's eyes scanned the contents of the house with the corners of her lips drawn down, she sneered at the glitz now presented before her.

"So, will the famous Maximillian join us later?" Elle spoke again and looked at Anggara.

"Elle, shut up."

"I'm just curious. Don't set me up."

"Master Max is gone today." Fawn said, inevitably.

"Someone knows how to use her mouth" Elle told Fawn. "You're smarter than Anggara."

"Elle," Anggara once again scolded. This time his breath was heavy.

"Listen, don't you think Evan's a bit of a cheat? If he and Ace were to destroy each other, he should have used his own power. Why would he call his retired father into this matter? Ace didn't wake his father from the grave to help him..."

"Did you set me up too, bodyguard? Would you slam me to the floor if I kept talking at length about the business that you had nothing to do with?"

"I won't use force, Miss Elle. But I can rebuke you because my job is to protect Miss Indira. Your words endanger us who are here. You'd better listen to Anggara's boss and not say anything that's capable of fomenting Mr. Evan."

Fawn turned towards the intended greenhouse. From the outside, lush foliage and flowers look soothing. Evan was in there, sitting facing a round table.

"I just praised you so smart, and you're so sassy." Eleanor smiled in anguish. "If you're not Indira's favorite lackey, I've fired you, just so you know."

"That's not your job, Elle." Anggara pulled Eleanor's arm so that the road would go hand in hand with her. "Now, don't make trouble and come with me!"

"Truly a troublesome woman." Fawn sighed after she successfully carried out her duty to escort Anggara and Eleanor to face Evan.

Fawn twisted her body and sauntered away. Where not. Fawn just wanted to avoid the three of them. Fawn did not want to interfere with a problem that was not the case.

Fawn continued walking until he felt a tremor coming in his right pocket. Although working while tinkering with mobile phones was a ban, Fawn got an exception because of the problem of her mother who was still languishing in the hospital. Indira allowed him to carry a cell phone while working, in case there was information about the development of his mother who was still receiving intensive care.

A foreign number called him.

Fawn sighed.

"What did I say about not contacting me during work hours?" Fawn said without further ado.

"What's wrong?" sahut the figure across the phone.

"Don't beat around. Whatdoyouwant?"

"I miss you, want to meet?"

"No. Can't do. I don't want to. It's very risky now." Fawn muttered as she stared at the end of her shoes.

To be honest, hearing that voice on the phone is not enough. But how else? Fawn did not want to make his selfishness a source of trouble.

"You don't need to think about anything else" the voice-Ace, said with gentleness. "Remember what I said? You don't have to think. Let me think of everything."

"Am I so stupid in your eyes?"

"No. But I don't want to stress you out. Follow your heart, Fawnia. Don't you want to see me?"

"Listen, Ace..." Fawn hung up her speech instantly as someone appeared out of nowhere and passed by her. Fawn thought he was very alert.

"Fawn?" that's Aidan.

"A-Widan?" Fawn immediately stuffed her phone into her pocket. "What are you..."

"You..., are you holding a cell phone?"

"Huh, yeah.., I'm allowed, remember?"

"Who are you calling?"

"My mother's hospital nurse. Who else?"

"Huh," Aidan looked at the old Fawn. I don't know what the meaning of his gaze is.

"What's wrong?" Fawn gulped. He was afraid that Aidan would hear his last words. Damn, why did he mention Ace's name? Why did Aidan show up when he needed privacy? Why didn't Aidan show up when Eleanor was talking nonsense about Evan? Fate is so unfair!

"You're so cheating, Fawn." commented Aidan. "You got the privilege."

"You wouldn't consider me special if you had a sick mother and needed extra supervision, Aidan."

"That doesn't make you any better. You still get special treatment when you don't even do anything." Finished commenting on Fawn with his cynical remarks, Aidan passed leaving Fawn. Fawn was glued there until she remembered her call and Ace was still connected.

"Huh-hello?" Fawn thought Ace had already decided on the call, but it didn't. The call was still connected, though Fawn was a bit unsure if Ace was still listening.

"Hello."

Oh, he's still listening.

"Sorry" Fawn said.

"You don't have to apologize. I'm wrong to bother you." Ace retaliated. "What was that?"

"Oh, it's Aidan."

"The next time he speaks harshly to you, you better not have to make him understand and have him think about his own business."

"It just happened to you." taunted Fawn back.

"Just let's meet later. I'll send you the location. Good work, Fawnia."

"Yes, you too."

"I love you."

"..."

"Fawn?"

"Thank you."

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