#THE_LAST_MINUTE_GROOM_S3
©Sir_Zach
EPISODE 44
Nancy shifted her gaze to Jeslyn, making sure her eyes were boring holes in her before answering. “Because I’ve caused them harm? Isn’t that enough reason to have people disguise themselves and come into my house to ki|| me?” seeing the horrified looks on their faces, she snorted, “It’s the audacity for me, really. How bold of you, Jeslyn, coming into my house like this!” She laughed, but there was no humor in her voice.
Realizing that things were falling apart, Jeslyn bolted to her feet and took a step back, creating a chance for Brian to immediately kneel in front of Nancy to plead.
“You misunderstood Mom, she’s not here to ki|| you. I brought her to keep my company! ”
The woman didn’t even spare Brian a glance, her dull eyes were on Jeslyn who was equally staring at her. She was a lot composed now. Soon her face changed and a smile crept onto her lips. Jeslyn was declaring war and it seems she was willing to stake it all just to bring Nancy down.
Nancy lowered her eyes to the cake in her chopsticks. She still hasn’t taken another bite since, “You poisoned these, didn’t you?”
Jeslyn knew she had been caught but there was no way she’d admit to poisoning the cakes. Those were her only hope of winning this fight.
“Why would I do that?”
Nancy offered her the cake on her chopstick, the one she took a tiny bite from earlier, “But I don’t trust you…eat this.”
Jeslyn swallowed, “I’m allergic to osmanthus.”
“Your brother isn’t, he can eat it on your behalf. Right, Brian?” she turned her hand to Brian, offering him the cake with a stoic face.
Without wasting time to avoid suspicion, he leaned in to take a bite. Jeslyn’s soul almost flew out but before she could stop him, Nancy dropped the cake into the plate.
“You are willing to eat poisoned food just so your sister’s plans could work?” Nancy felt a bitter taste in her throat. Is this the love of twins or what? Would he have loved her like this if she was his real mother? She thought to herself.
“I’m willing to eat that to prove to you that there’s nothing in it.” Brian refused to admit that his sister indeed poisoned the cakes.
Nancy looked away and said, “You are going after the wrong person. If you want to seek revenge for your mother, you should be going after someone else!”
“What do you mean?” Jeslyn asked with a frown.
“You’re smart, I’m sure you can figure it out… Also, you’re a guest in my house, so behave like one. Brian will take you to the guest room after you’ve taken that shitty disguise off.”
Jeslyn took a deep breath to calm down. Her identity and plan had been exposed, but there’s always another way.
“How did you know it was me?”
“Because you’ve always been under my watch. I have no intention of ki||ing you or your brother, so don’t waste my time with petty schemes.”
Jeslyn narrowed her eyes, “What are you up to?”
“Finding ways to survive,” she got up and walked a little further with her back turned to them. “You might want to know the reason I’m after your mother… Once upon a time…”
After hearing the whole story, Jeslyn and Brian were stunned but Jeslyn immediately swallowed her shock. “That’s not enough reason to cause my mother so much pain, separate my brother from us and ki|| my niece!”
Nancy didn’t try to defend herself. Her Nanny said the same thing. Although she didn’t see anything wrong with what she did but decided to stay calm. After all, her problem right now is bigger than anything else and Jeslyn might just be the right person to help her.
“What you should be more interested in right now is how to save your family, especially your husband from falling into that pretentious man’s hands. He won’t give it a second thought before grinding your husband into powder,” She turned to face Jeslyn.
“What are you talking about?!” Jeslyn frowned.
“You should take your mother… and brother away from the city before he returns. I don’t know where he went but I’m sure that when he returns, he’d be unleashing the power he had been secretly amassing, on you all.”
“Mom, what do you mean? Who is this person you are so scared of?”
She glanced at Brian, “Your sister knows and that’s enough. You shouldn’t stay more than three days in this city. I’ll clear the way for you because his men are everywhere, watching you all like hawks without you knowing… one last thing, that Assistant of yours shouldn’t be by your side anymore.”
“You mean she’s a spy?… From him?” Jeslyn asked.
“Not from him, the Half–heart.”
Jeslyn gasped. Ani is a spy? How?!… “hope you’re not lying to me?”
“It’s your choice. Believe me and it’s your gain. Don’t believe me, it’s your loss.”
Jeslyn narrowed her eyes and asked, “Why are you telling me these?”
“So you don’t end up being another version of me, I need to rest now. We might meet in the future… I hope you’ll be stronger by then. Take care of my son,” she walked away after that.
The two watched her leave their sight before Brian asked in confusion, “What is going on?”
“Don’t pretend like you don’t know what she’s talking about. Your father is a bad man!” she glared at him before leaving.
Brian was left in a daze. This is not the plan, how did his father suddenly become the enemy? Last month, they said they were going for Nancy, but now, the table suddenly turned. The guy was left in a dilemma, not knowing what to do. On one hand, is Jeslyn, who seems to be angry at him, on the other hand, is the unbelievable truth he just uncovered.
_____
Meanwhile, Rossa was in the servant’s quarters, opening the gift box. Inside it was a bracelet with a small round pendant.
She opened the pendant to reveal the inside that was half–filled with white powder. She sighed before closing it and wearing the bracelet on her wrist. This was the substance she added to the cake this morning and now, it’s useless.
Jeslyn wasn’t given the time to mull over the matter at hand before the door was pushed open. Two maids barged into the room, and from the look on their faces, it appeared as if they would ki|| Jeslyn if she said the wrong word. She was already in a bad mood and wouldn’t mind taking care of these ladies to ease her heart’s troubles if they weren’t careful with her. She thought.
“You are very capable. Not only did you have the old butler wrapped around your fingers, but you’ve also seduced the Young Master into giving you gifts. Wow, just wow!” one of them said with a few claps.
“She’s not even pretty, how come this ugly duckling gets the good things, but we don’t? It’s unfair!”
Rossa attempted to get up from the bed but was pushed back down.
“Where do you think you’re going?!” the other lady thundered.
“Where else?” Jeslyn giggled, “I’m leaving the room for mad people like you.”
Their eyes shot wide with rage. This fatso, who had never talked back at anyone before, is suddenly taunting them after getting a gift from the Young Master! What does she now see herself as? A Mistress of the Hwang family?
“Rossa, don’t be Ç0çƙy! Because the Young Master gave you a worthless gift today doesn’t mean he has affection for you! You should…”
“True. How about you meet him and also request for a ‘worthless’ gift? he has lots of them…” She raised her wrist and dangled the bracelet for a moment. “You should hurry up before he throws them away.” She said with feigned urgency, wrapped around her innocent–looking face.
The two girls glanced at each other, and one gave a slight nod before they looked at Rossa again, “If you dare lie to us, watch how we’ll skin you alive!”
Rossa watched with a mischievous smile as the two made their way out of the room. She fell on the bed and chuckled. Those two will surely be taught a lesson by Brian soon.
…
That evening, Jeslyn heard rumors that the two maids who went to get ‘worthless’ gifts from Brian were thrown out of the mansion.
Without packing her bags, she left the Hwang residence and went to the hotel. On arrival, Ani ran up to her with a bright smile.
“Ma Jeslyn, you are back!
Jestyn would have returned the smile in the past, but today, she couldn’t find herself smiling after what she heard.
“Where is Rex?” She asked.
“He is at the bar,” Ani replied. She wanted to follow Jeslyn, but Jeslyn wouldn’t allow it.
*At the bar…*
Jeslyn was sitting in front of Rex, sipping from a wine glass after telling him about the new development.
“That was wild. No one saw that coming… do you want to risk it all and trust her?”
“I feel there’s truth to what she claimed,” Jeslyn said.
“How so?”
“Do you honestly believe that Nancy is capable of holding Mr. Hwang down?… I mean, she’s capable, but do you see Mr. Hwang as a person who would be so obedient?” Jeslyn stared at him, waiting for Rex to answer her.
Rex wiggled his index finger in an attempt to convey that he bought the idea. “That’s actually weird to begin with. Considering the fact that your mom told you he’s the leader of the Dark Age, it’s not plausible that Nancy can hold him down for so long.”
“Exactly! I find this whole thing about Mr. Hwang is fishy.” She tilted her head to think. “Why would he do all that? Like… I don’t understand why he would go to such lengths to make Brian h@ťě Nancy… Or, what am I even saying? God! I’m confused as f_ck! This is stressing the $h|t out of me!”
“Take a deep breath, drink some,” he helped her with her glass of wine. “Relax your mind… How about we meet up with Nancy and ask her about it? That’s a better idea, right?”
Jeslyn side-eyed him, “I don’t trust her enough to rely on her words… She said Ani is a spy from the Half–heart… How can that be possible?”
“In this world, nothing is impossible. Have you ever wondered why the Half–heart people haven’t come for you for so long?” he sipped his drink, leaving her to think about it.
Jeslyn frowned, “Then, I can’t let her leave if she’s one of them!”
Rex shook his head and placed his glass on the table. “People like these are dangerous– they are a ticking time bomb.”
“Then, should we just let her go like that?”
Rex shook his head again, “First, we confirm the authenticity of the information you received from Nancy, then make a deal with her. She ki||s Ani in an ‘unintentional’ attack, and you pay her in wh@ťěver you bargain. But make sure your stakes aren’t too high.”
“Hmm, you want us to use someone else as a weapon to ki|| off our enemy?… Won’t that cause a fight between her and the Half-heart?”
“Indeed. My brother is not home, and we need to be careful who we offend. A lot of factions have their eyes on us, especially the Xu family. You wouldn’t want a situation where we would get into a fight with one faction and others attack from the rear, right?”
“Certainly not!”
“Then, that’s the only way to get rid of Ani.”
“But we can hire a hitman or something. Must it be Nancy? That woman gives me goosebumps!”
“What if the assassination fails? You don’t expect Ani to be powerless if she was indeed sent by the Half–heart, do you?… Let me break it down.
“Nancy is powerful that she’s holding the Half–heart organization in a chokehold. If someone like her ki||s Ani ‘by accident’, it might be considered a mistake, or the organization wage war, but I doubt they can afford to offend Nancy. That woman seem to have someone the Half-heart needs.
“But if Ani is attacked by a hitman and you’re fine, the half-heart would immediately suspect us. You know why? Because Ani is too ‘innocent’ and ‘cute’ to have enemies.”
_____
The next day, Jeslyn returned to the Hwang Residence without giving anyone prior notice. When she appeared as Jeslyn, none of the guards stopped her.
When she entered the huge compound, she made her way straight to the main house and asked for Brian. A guard took her to Brian’s room but instead of going in, she changed her mind and asked for Nancy. The guard was a bit skeptical. Although they all received an order to Allow Jeslyn or Rossa in whenever she came around, they didn’t receive any order to allow her into Madam Nancy’s quarters.
After deliberating for a while, the guard bowed and apologized, “I’m sorry, miss, I can’t help you with that.”
Jeslyn gave a small nod, “I understand. You may leave.”
After the guard left her in front of Brian’s room, she knocked on the door a couple of times before Brian answered the door. The young man was surprised to see his sister standing before him.
“You’re here?”
“Won’t you offer me a seat?” she rather asked.
“Oh…please,” he stepped out of the way for her to enter.
Brian’s exceptionally neat and clean cream–coloured bedroom that is decorated with blue lights, gives a homely vibe, unlike the plain white walls and boring white chairs in the sitting room. The neatly arranged king–sized bed with blue and white bedding, told Leslyn that Brian didn’t sleep on the bed. She roamed her gaze around the room and noticed a blue duvet on the long couch that was placed beside the floor to ceiling window that separated the room from the balcony where a sparkling blue swimming pool was located.
In another space in the excessively large room, was a studio that was separated from the bedroom with a transparent glass wall. The music instrument in the studio could be seen from where Jesyn was standing.
“Your room is very luxurious and beautiful.you must have spent a fortune on it.”
“Not really. My mu… She did it last year.”
“You don’t have to force it. It’s not easy to stop calling her ‘mom’ just like that. You’ve called her that for 26 years, so… don’t worry, Pink is understanding.” she smiled and walked towards his studio.
Passing her fingers through the high end musical instrument, Jeslyn voiced her thoughts. “She is willing to give you a great deal of luxury, yet causes you so much heartache. I can’t understand that woman no matter how hard I try… tell me honestly, brother.” she paused her fingers on the guitar and turned around to look at him.
“What do you think about your father?”
Brian moved forward and grabbed the guitar, then sat on one of the two sofas. He slid a finger across the strings and asked, “What do you feel about your grandfather?” She then looked up at her. “That’s how much he means to me.”
“Even if he is the cause of our problems, you’ll still stick to that?” she asked.
“I can’t h@ťě him, I’m sorry.”
“What if he’s after my husband and son? Will you still take his side?”
“Bu…” Brian couldn’t speak and swallowed. After a long time, he said, “It hasn’t been proven that he is a bad person. It’s only your assumptions and–”
“He is the leader of the Dark Age organization. Do you know what that means?” seeing him keep silence, Jeslyn’s eye turned colder and a smile that unsettled Brianb crept into her lips. “Dear brother, I’ll give you today to think about your stance. Wh@ťěver decision you make, you don’t need to tell me. If you’re on my side, take Pink and return to the Capital and wait for me. But if you’re against me, send my mother to the airport and never show your face to me ever again.”
Brian bolted to his feet. “Jeslyn, does it have to get to this?”
Jeslyn held his hand and massaged it gently for a while, “Do you think these hands can console me if your father ki||s my husband or son? Brother,” her voice softened and tears welled up in her eyes. “You knew my journey. You knew who was there for me. You don’t love Piper like I do my husband and son… Brian, I’d go crazy if anything happens to them, and I’ll be worse than Nancy if my own father is the cause.”
Brian could feel the pain his sister was going through. He knows she deserves the happiness her husband and son gives her. He is aware that she deserves his support and protection in these hard times that enemies are lurking around. But…
He held her hands and said, hoping she’d buy the idea, “I can speak to dad to let brother-in-law and my Nephew go. I’m sure he’d listen.”
Jeslyn slowly pulled her hands away and shook her head, “Do you know what power and fame do to people?… Do you think that he doesn’t know that Maverick, the Holy son as they call him, is his son-in-law? Or do you think he isn’t aware that Valen is his grandson?”
“Sister–”
“That man doesn’t consider me his daughter, nor does he see you as his son. Believe it or not, he has a use for you…”
“Jeslyn, please!”
“Rex told me that when you and Piper were kidnapped, it was done by the Oldest son of the Feng family. He also told me that the Feng family is a core member of the Dark Age organization and they needed to sacrifice you to Zucchini. I also didn’t know who Zucchini was until Rex told me it is the gods worshiped by the Half-hearts.
“What?”
“Do you know that your father knew about it but did nothing to the Fengs? Your uncle, the President, feared that he’d get in trouble with your mother, so he had the Oldest son of the Feng family arrested. You should know by now why your father did nothing… if you don’t, then it’s because…”
“He cares more about the organization and doesn’t want to punish the family that carries out the most important task for them.”
Hearing that, Jeslyn nodded, “Yes. if you are important to him, he won’t treat you the way he did. Brian, don’t be stupid. But if you want to, I won’t stop you, but don’t get in the way.” She looked at his unfocused gaze that was telling of the struggles he was passing through in his head. She sighed and hugged him before she left him alone to mull over it.