HEART OF THE ROSE

CHAPTER 8

AS expected, her family welcomed Charles that night. And Keira as a woman who secretly admired the young man could not deny it as much as if her feeling was deeper because in a short time she was able to see the other side him. And she thinks that was his true identity. And even though they have eaten out already before he gave her a ride home, when her mother asked him to join for dinner, Charles did not hesitate to join them. She was even glad that he seemed to enjoy her mother's Chicken Adobo.

"Thank you" the young man when she took him outside the gate where his car was parked.

"Thank you too" was her happy reply and smiled sweetly at Charles.

 Charles nodded. "The truth is, this is my first time to visit a woman's house that is not actually related to me. And I am happy that I insisted to give you a ride home. Your parents are kind and even your younger brother. You have a very beautiful family and I am pleased to meet them" she felt the sincerity on what the young man said and those words really touched her heart.

"Be careful driving" she said as the young man boarded his car.

"By the way, about Shara, I'm sorry" he added and started the engine.

Keira nodded and smile. "That's nothing sir, it's fine. See you tomorrow." 

“See you” then the young man lifted the glass window to its side and drove the vehicle away.

She followed Charles's car until it disappeared into her sight. Keira could not control the romantic thrill and smile. She hopes that her boss's good treatment for her will never change. Although he is not really rude to her. She could say she liked the real Charles. But it seems like she will not having a hard time falling in love with the young man's real identity.

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"IT'S late, what took you so long?" his mother whom he found reading a book in the living room. 

Charles then glanced at the antique wall clock in the corner of their large living room. It was past nine o'clock and he was not aware of it. He laughed at himself secretly because even though he had been stuck in traffic for more than an hour, he had not even glanced at his watch. Because maybe he was too busy thinking about Keira.

"Did you eat already or do you want me to tell Mila to get you something for dinner?" when he approached Carmela to kiss her on the cheek.

"No thanks Ma, I had dinner already," he said looking up the grand staircase when he heard footsteps from there."Hi Pa" he greeted Rico.

"Where did you had your dinner?" Carmela's question then resumed reading the book. It was when he sat down next to his mother.

“In my secretary's house,” he laughed softly. "Actually we had dinner twice. I invited her out but when I gave her a ride home, her mother asked me to join them for dinner. The food looked good so I ate with them" he even continued and followed his words with a weak laugh.

Charles saw his parents exchanged meaningful looks because of what he said. A few moments later when he thought he couldn't stand it, his father spoke.

“It's very unusual for you to have dinner at your secretary's house. You don't do that to your girlfriend, do you? " asked her a question."Yeah, but Keira is different, and I must admit she is special to me" he admitted smiling.

 "What do you mean?" his mother looked straight into his eyes with a wonderful aura on her beautiful face. It is obvious that she is excited on what he get to say.

Charles shrugged his shoulder before speaking. "I kind of like this girl, I wish I could always see her and talk to her. I don't understand why but I think I'll be happy when that happens” he later confessed as both of his parents were seriously listening to what he was saying.

His father cleared his throat before speaking. "It looks like the long wait is over for us, dear," he said to her mother.

Carmela smiled at what her father said. "You think so?"

"That's what happened to me before," Rico replied.

"Is it always this fast? I'm sorry this is the first time that I felt something like this so I am not familiar" that is true and his parents know it so he has no trouble convincing them of what he is saying.

"I want to get to know her, when will you bring her here?" in Carmela's tone, the longing to get to know Keira in person.

She shrugged her shoulders. “Sooner, maybe. The problem is that I don't know if she'll agree if I invite her here. You know, I don't know how she can be so straightforward and conservative at the same time. She is also a bit shy but transparent in her true feelings ” Charles said in amusement.

"Get to know her. I mean, we all know that we cannot know a person completely unless we can get it under one roof, can't we, dear?" Carmela said looking at her husband, Rico

His father nodded. "Your mother is right. Take a vacation, at Palawan, since our rest house there hasn't been visited for a long time. Bring Keira with you, what do you think?" his father making sure of the young lady's name.

"Yes, Papa" his response to his father's question. "But I feel like I will have a hard time convincing her" that's true. Because just like what he said, Keira may be very straightforward but she is also shy.

His father clicks his tongue. "Charles, son, you have all the advantages. You're her boss so it's not hard for you to convince her. But just in case try to… ”

Charles quietly listened to all the ideas his father had given him. He knew that this attraction that he feels for Keira is not simple. Because all that happened was enough to prove that he had seen the perfect woman he had been waiting for a long time.