The Gun In My Hand's

Chapters 21. Can I Go Where You Go?

Armstrong's Mension, Newcastle (Tyne and Wear), UK – 08.37 am.

Faint voices of people speaking could be heard to my ears. I tried to open my eyes with great difficulty, until I was finally able to come into contact with the sunlight.

I felt something holding my stomach. Ah, my mother's hand. I woke him up by rubbing his hand.

Father and Zach who were talking finally realized I had woken up when Mom hugged me. How long have I been asleep? Why everyone is panicking and relieved at the same time.

I vaguely remember what happened last night. Really, the memory of the incident was terrible and still makes me distrustful. What exactly happened. And Leon, how could it be that easy to get rid of people? 

My real daydream was long enough, it came to a halt. I scanned the entire side of this room and couldn't find Leon. Has he gone?

"Where's Leon?"

That's the first word I could say this morning. I just realized I've been in my family's ministry, not at Zach's palace anymore.

"He's gone after delivering you here."

Zach answered my question quickly. I was a bit disappointed with Leon leaving without saying anything. I still have a lot of questions for him. Very much.

"Honey, are you okay?"

"yeah. I'm fine, Mom. There's nothing to worry about."

I watched my mother and everyone in this room. Everyone looked at me with a slightly incomprehensible look.

"You hungry? What do you want for your breakfast?"

"Come, Mom. Why are you so weird this morning? I'm doing fine. See, I can get out of my sleep."

I got out of my bed and stood up straight for them to believe.

"You sure?" I rolled my eyeballs.

"Alright, we'll wait for you at the dinner table for breakfast, Honey."

"I think you can have breakfast first. I want to linger in the bathroom. I feel like my body is a bit ..."

Sticky?

"You want me to go with you?"

"No! Come on, you're all out. I'm no longer a child."

I pushed my mother and everyone out of the room. After that, I immediately took my phone that was on the table. I was planning to call Leon, but there's been a message coming in from him since last night.

'I'm sorry I can't keep you company until tomorrow morning when you wake up. I'll be right back.'

I exhaled a rough breath before replying to her message, 'Yeah, it's fine. What are you doing to leave me in a hurry?'

No reply at all, not even read. I waited for about five minutes, but I still hadn't answered. I finally decided to go to the bathroom and carry my phone.

Until I set up the bathtub, my message had not been answered. Sucks. I put myself in lavender-scented water. It's very soothing. However, my attention was still not distracted because my message was still ignored by Leon.

I think I'm gonna try to sleep in this bathtub for a while. I just closed my eyes, and my phone rang. I immediately picked it up and my smile appeared when I saw it was Leon. I immediately picked it up, "Leon!"

'Wow, you always have the energy to shout in the morning, Princess.'

The sound of laughter filled my eardrum.

"I miss you."

His giggling was still heard at the end there, even clearer. Maybe because of my frontal words.

'Not one day we parted, Elisha. It's ridiculous to hear you say that.'

"You're mocking me?! You don't seem to feel the same way. I'm disappointed."

'Are we going to debate something that doesn't matter anymore?'

I was silent for quite a while. Shitty, who would want to argue with him. Wait a minute, I hear a horn, is he on his way?

"What are you doing?"

'Well, I'm on the street driving a car somewhere. And what are you doing?'

"Take a guess yourself."

I just laughed like a fool.

'Emm ... shower?'

I took my phone out of my ear and closed the screen. How does he know?

"Ti .. no. You're wrong! I'm having breakfast in the room."

'Oh yeah? I heard the sound of water, I thought you were taking a bath.'

"No! Ears problems. How can the sound of water go into your ear at the other end. You're stupid!"

I immediately turned off the phone due to embarrassment. Damnit damnit! How can I be nervous just when he calls me. In fact, I myself could feel my face warming up, maybe it was already becoming red. Stupid jerk.

After that, I finished my soaking quickly because my stomach was starving. Until I finished my performance after the shower, I still messaged Leon.

I kept doing it when I entered the dining room and found my parents without Zach. I think he's gone to work. My father and mother had finished their breakfast and seemed to be having a serious conversation while waiting for me.

I was served pancakes by the waiters. I was still engrossed in replying to Leon's message over breakfast and reluctant to join my parents' conversation. I thought to myself to reply to Leon's message.

We decided to get in touch with each other via cell phone if we have free time. Leon says if my message is unrequited, it means he's busy. I will understand that because I think from tomorrow I will also be busy working.

"Sheel!"

I was shocked to hear my father's high voice.

"You didn't listen to what we said earlier. Stop holding your phone at the dinner table. It was so disrespectful when we talked to you."

I stared at my parents. They don't seem to like what I'm doing.

I put my cell phone on the table and continued eating my pancakes without wanting to argue with them. It's my first time, anyway I think they're just engrossed in chatting together. What's wrong with manners in this dining room is just the three of us. I don't like times like this.

"Are you sure you can work tomorrow?"

My mother broke the silence by talking to me.

"Yeah, there's no reason for me to stay here."

My father seems to have come back to dislike my answer. I am still very upset by my father's words.

"Thankful ... Emm, will you be able to accompany me this weekend?"

"I don't have any plans. What's wrong?"

I still chewed on the pancake slowly and looked at my mother, as if I cared about what she said. Though I only focus on my phone vibrating occasionally, because I'm sure it's a message from Leon.

My hands are so itching to get my phone. I hurriedly ate the pancakes to leave this boring chat.

"Mom wants you to meet my old friend. He will also bring his son who is your age. Emm... Sometimes you have to socialize with other people."

"I easily socialize with my business colleagues, Mom. I'm not a loner. Anyway, I'll just keep you company, don't get me in the socialite chat. It makes me uncomfortable."

"That's not what mom meant."

Suddenly mom took my hand and I stopped my fast food.

"Try opening yourself up to someone. Maybe you can start with a date with your friend's daughter. I'm sure he fits you well, he has the same traits as Kyle."

I put the knife and fork hard on my plate. I said nothing and stood up from my seat. I was just about to leave the dinner table, but my father's growling voice cancelled the plan.

"Elisa, finish your food before you leave this table!"

I tried to hang on to this table.I took my phone and ignored whatever my father said earlier about manners. I just need Leon to defuse my anger.

'I have to leave immediately. I'll call you later tonight.'

The message from Leon began to read.

'I love you.'

'You sure you're not going to give it back?'

I went back to devouring the last piece of my pancake and tried to type in a reply for Leon, 'I love you too :)'

My activities came to a halt when my mother touched the corner of my fingers.

"Elisa .. mother just—"

"Stop forcing it."

This time it was my father who interrupted my mother's words. At that time I felt happy for a moment with father's defense before—

"I didn't force him! What about you alone? You even set her up with someone who doesn't know which one."

I immediately choked on my own pancakes.

"What's with all this?! You guys didn't even talk to me about anything first. What do you think I am?"

Mother seemed reluctant to answer, while my father stared intensely into my eyes.

"It's for your own good, Elisha."

"Dad .. You don't even know what's best for me. Stop making me what you want me to be. Am I still not enough for you?"

Exactly the same as what Kyle said when he heard the word matchmaking. Maybe this is what Kyle used to feel. And what I did was the same, I didn't need anyone's answer and left the dinner table immediately.

I've just been through something really unpleasant, but why are they pushing me so far? Especially dad. I never wanted to disappoint him in anything.

My hard character at work is formed from the tough figure of James Armstrong. I never gave up on what I wanted because I had her as my role model.

I never even got out of the line he had drawn because I knew he would be the best father who would take me on the path that was truly best for me.

He rarely spoke to me, but I knew he was always watching whatever I was doing. I can't believe he made his own decision without asking me. For the first time I was very disappointed with my father's decision.

I really want to hear Leon's voice. But that can't happen because he hasn't even read my last message. I've missed him. I can't be straight with my condition right now. He will worry later.

I decided to change my clothes to work clothes. I don't want to linger here, I better get in early for work. I guess when I get to the office, there must be a lot of people who are excited because they have not prepared anything for my welcome.

Ah, stupid time.

I immediately contacted Kyle to meet at my office. And sure enough, he was shocked because I suddenly wanted to start working today. I also contacted my secretary to prepare everything I could do today.

While getting ready, I suddenly heard the sound of my room door being knocked, "Miss, Master wants to talk to you for a while. He's been waiting in his study."

I thought for a moment, what else does he want to say?

"Tell him I'll be here soon."

I immediately grabbed my briefcase before exiting the room towards my father's study on the first floor.

I knocked on the door before entering. Our eyes meet. I was still standing not wanting to try to get close as he slowly removed his glasses. He sat down at his desk and seemed to be reading some documents.

He still works even though everything has been given to me. I'm sure that I'm still nothing compared to him at the same age as me. There was no reason for him to give everything to me. This shift takes process and time.

"You're gonna spell?"

"Yes." Yeah."

He still looked at me from his seat.

"Your mother .. she looks sad. Talk to him."

"You're better at entertaining him, Dad."

"He didn't want me to do that."

I chose silence, not to answer. Discussing the incident at the dinner table made me even more annoyed.

"You ... I'm not forcing you to accept everything I'm offering. You can refuse if you want. I said I want what's best for you, I can't forget what happened to you last night and it freaks me out a lot more than losing everything I have."

I couldn't see my father's face because he put his glasses back on and decided to read the documents again. He showed no emotion, apart from the anger that sometimes arises.

"Don't go home too late. Your mother will be worried."

I heard that sentence before I came out of his study. I looked around, which also felt quiet, inaudible to my mother's voice as usual. There were only the voices of the servants who were busy with their respective jobs.

I exhaled a rough breath and decided to go to work. By the time I got out, there was already a car parked at the end of the stairs and some bodyguards?

Wait a minute, they're not the bodyguards that usually accompany me. As I approached, I unconsciously opened my eyes because there was one person I knew.

"Dereck?"

He turned his body.

"Ah, Miss Armstrong. Long time no see. You know, I went back down to the field for the first time to be a bodyguard." He said it in a small voice like a whisper.

I'm sure Dad never messes around. Just look, I will be accompanied by the stiffer bodyguards than before and they are all armed.

"Derack, how are you here?" I don't know why I asked as well as whispered.

"I'll tell you later. You know, talking to clients a lot is not our job. They're gonna report to your shitty cousin and my salary might get cut for it."

He whispered back. I rolled my eyeballs and got into the car. I was accompanied by Dereck and a driver I just saw as well, each in the front seat. There's even one more car trailing back there. I glanced at Dereck from the windshield of the top of the car. Dereck gave me his disgusting smile.

...***...

45 minutes later ...

Armstrong Compony, City of London, UK – 10.25 am.

I walked into my office feeling relieved. Kyle still hasn't reached my office. I think he's still pissed off that I forced him to come all of a sudden. I'm in here with Dereck.

I'm actually a little uncomfortable with her coming into my room, but it's better than her flirting with my secretary out there. After all, he seemed to really enjoy his working hours by lying on the sofa while playing his cell phone.

I ignored him and read some of the proposals I had to sign. About an hour later, I heard the door of my room open without my permission, who else if not Kyle. Dereck just jerked and woke up from his slumber.

"Ah, fuck. My phone's down!"

Dereck's voice was the center of our attention. Kyle glanced at me as if asking who the bar-bar guy was.

I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "My personal bodyguard. Never mind him, I need your help for our project meeting next week."

I got off my desk and with Kyle to a more closed meeting room. I know he's very uncomfortable talking about important things like this if there's a stranger.

Just about to get out, as I heard Dereck blush, "Miss, can I come out for a second? Probably by going around looking at this building."

Dereck's annoying smile makes me turn the eyeball.

"Do it if you want your salary cut by fifty percent. Anyway I won't be long, don't run away before I let you." Immediately I closed the door.

"Hey, Elise. Is this not ridiculous? As if you were guarding your own bodyguard. Who's she?"

"Don't mind him, Kyle. He's the real bodyguard from Zach's residence. He's special to be my personal bodyguard at the moment. I let him in there because if he comes out, I don't know what he's gonna do with some of the women in this building."

"What?! Sure enough, such a person becomes your bodyguard."

"At least he's no more annoying than the others. Never mind, let's start our work."

...***...

Three hours later ...

When I got back, I saw Dereck smoking with his feet up on the table. His attitude really frustrates me.

He was shocked when I entered and quickly lowered his legs. I was stupid with his attitude because I was tired of talking about projects with Kyle for 3 hours non-stop.

I ended up contacting my secretary to provide any lunch for us. Then I walked to the glass cabinet where there was my wine collection and took one of my favorite bottles.

"I never once let anyone smoke in my room."

I said it while pouring wine into the glass.

"Ah, really? I'm sorry, Princess. I'll throw it away because the kindly Princess has served her expensive wine." He rolled his one eye.

I chose to sit on the sofa in front of him and put a glass of wine for him as well.

"I'm surprised you don't like someone smoking, but I caught you and Leon kissing. You know, Leon's a heavy smoker."

I was choked by wine. Damn, why do I choke so often today.

My mistake was quickly resolved because the door of my room was knocked and my secretary came in to bring food. I saw Dereck flirting with my secretary. They stopped it when I loudly chanted.

"So ... did Zach ask you to do this boring job?"

He chewed the hamburger very crazily. He seems to be very hungry.

"Not really. Precisely Zach, your father, and Leon. Three people who are very protective of you."

As expected, everything must have been their interference.

"You know what happened last night got everyone into an uproar, especially your father."

I don't know how my father was expressing that day. Was he just as quiet as usual? But why did after that incident, my parents even irritated me at breakfast? I still feel my frustration at the moment.

I took another sip of wine when I got a message on my phone from Leon,

'What a great relief, I thought today I would be disappointed that you didn't answer my last question.'

I smiled when I read it.

"Wow, this wine is amazing. You're the expert, miss. When else would I get a fancy and satisfying drink like this?"

I stared alternately at the messages from Leon and Dereck's face until he seemed curious about what I was doing.

"What?"

"Hey, Dereck. I'm not good at making wine, I can find it and buy it easily. But, you'd be surprised to find out so expertly that I brewed a drink you'd never tasted."

Dereck's eyes instantly narrowed as I grinned.

"What do I have to do to taste the drink?"

Bingo ...

.......

.......

.......

.......

.......

...TO BE CONTINUED...

...•••...