The Royal Contract

Judging from the breeze blowing in the cold air, he guessed rain would shortly follow. But he was not worried about a few droplets of water falling from the sky. He doubted it would ruin his plans for today.

“Aaahhh!” He suddenly covered his mouth with his fist as he yawned his exhaustion. He could also feel the fatigue setting in his tight muscles as tension built on his nerves.

He hardly had enough sleep last night, and his body seemed to be demanding some rest. However, he still had a few things he had to handle before he could think of laying back on his comfortable bed.

He mentally calculated that he could still make one more run before the rain set in. He could use some adrenaline to keep him going for the day. But before he could go for another run, somebody stopped him.

“Mike.” Her gentle voice floated in the air until it reached his ears, making him turn to face her. “Wait up.” She called out as she rushed to his side. “I was waiting for you inside.”

He looked at the woman living under his care, striding toward him with a big smile on her lips. He promised to keep her safe. And he intended to deliver on his promise, not only to his friend but to her as well.

Somehow, this woman had crawled under his skin. She planted a seed in his heart that had slowly grown without him noticing. Now, he felt a connection with her that he had never experienced with any woman before.

“Hi, Haley.” He greeted her back as he halted in his tracks. “I just went for a jog.” He answered her as he completely stopped to face her. “What are you doing here without a jacket?” He asked, slightly concerned for her well-being.

.....

He was concerned she might catch a cold from the cold breeze in the air. And the last thing he needed was for her to get sick. He read somewhere that pregnant women were more susceptible to diseases and should always be extra careful.

“I did not expect that it would be this cold.” She commented, directing her gaze at the dark clouds on the horizon. But her hands automatically moved to protect her body from the cold wind blowing in their direction.

“Maybe we should return to the house before you catch the flu or something.” He suggested as he went closer to her and assisted her back to the safety and warmth of the house.

He could continue his workout at the private gym later when he was through dealing with Haley. At the moment, she was his priority. He did not want to bother her earlier since she was still sleeping.

However, now that she was awake, he believed it was time they had their heart-to-heart talk about her future. He had already arranged everything she would need for her travel and destination.

“Imelda already cooked breakfast. Maybe you want to join me.” She offered. Besides wanting to talk to him, she was also starving. Therefore, they could hit two birds with one stone by eating while discussing her concern.

She would lie if she said she slept like a baby last night. She still felt the presence even when she already had her eyes closed. She knew it could either sound romantic or horrific, depending on how she would like to see it.

But somehow, it felt like Gerald came back to haunt her. She knew she had a whiff of his warm, mossy-woody scent last night, making her think that it was him who was watching her.

“Ok. Let us have breakfast first.” He accepted her recommendation, following her to the backdoor and into the kitchen, where he could smell the freshly baked cinnamon rolls.

Suddenly, he could feel his stomach churning from the delicious aroma, realizing he was hungrier than he thought. Then, he helped Haley to her seat on the table while he took the opposite side.

“I baked this, especially for the two of you,” Imelda said as she placed the bread before them with the other meal she had prepared for breakfast.

“Can I have coffee?” He asked, desperately needing the kick from the caffeine badly.

“Of course,” Imelda quickly responded. “What about you, pretty senorita?” She lovingly asked the woman before him.

“I can get me...” But Imelda did not let her finish or stand from her chair. She moved and fussed around them as they ate their breakfast with satisfaction. Everything was superb.

He was not wrong to continue hiring the couple to care for the house. They were doing a terrific job on it. He guessed Gerald knew what he was doing when his friend gave Mario a second chance after he slipped up.

“Just sit tight and eat your meal,” Imelda told her as she moved to get everything they needed.

Of course, that was all they could do at that moment. Eat and talk about a few basic stuff. Although Mike trusted Imelda about a few things, he could not let her hear the rest of their secrets and plans.

But as soon as they had eaten their meals, he invited Haley to join him in his private office where they could have some privacy. A quiet place where they could talk without someone else overhearing their conversation.

“Please take a seat, Haley. We have much to talk about.” He told her as he sat behind his desk after helping her in one of the vacant chairs.

He could see the curiosity in her eyes. But he also knew that she had questions that she was dying to ask him. Nevertheless, he had prepared himself to answer all of them.

“I was waiting for you to wake up to tell you about the good news.” He finally said as he opened the locked drawer and pulled some files inside.

He stared at her for a few seconds before pushing the envelope to the edge so she could reach it.

Once it was in her hands, she looked at him in question. “What is this?” Haley watched him like a hawk, wondering what was going through his mind.

After last night, she was still skeptical if what she felt was a ghost or something else, but she could not shake the feeling that it was Gerald visiting her and their child.

But the possibility that he was still alive also nagged in her mind. However, she also shoved it at the back of her mind as quickly as it manifested, knowing that the dead could not return to life.

“Why don’t you check it first, and I will answer all your questions?” He encouraged her to open the envelope.

Quickly, he watched her eyes turn from curiosity to shock, excitement, and sadness as a series of emotions crossed her face upon seeing her new identity.

“Is this my new name?” She asked as she held the passport and identification in her hands.

She looked carefully at the name he gave her, wondering if it matched her character. But beggars could not be choosers. She would have to make do with what she had. She should be thankful for all his efforts to help her.

Truthfully, she still did not understand why he would go to great lengths to help her when he did not owe her anything. Yes, he was friends with Gerald. But it did not mean he also inherited the burden of caring for her and her unborn child.

“Yes. I also need you to read the background papers regarding your new identity. You must understand that this will be your new life from now on. Or until we can assure you are safe to return as Haley again.” Mike reiterated the importance of sticking to the story.

“We don’t want anybody suspecting that you are not who you say you are if you keep reverting to your old life.” He further explained to her, trying to make her see the point of all these complicated rules.

“I think I get it.” She said, nodding her head in agreement.

Of course, the last thing she wanted was to waste all this effort to hide her by blowing her cover. She had to memorize every new detail of her new life, that included her name, birth date, parents, where she grew up and studied, and everything relevant to her fake past.

“I know this will not be easy, but this is better than staying in this house like a prisoner.” Mike looked sympathetic to her plight, which she greatly appreciated.

“I have already arranged your transportation. A plane will leave to take you to the island as soon as you are ready and packed.” He informed her, looking sad.

“You don’t have to pack up many things because someone will be there to help you as soon as you land. Your assistant will help you settle in your new place and help you buy some new things for you and the baby.” Mike continued before she could say anything.

When everything finally sunk into her mind, she looked at him with a million questions swirling in her mind. But she only voiced out one. “You are not coming with me?”

“I wish I could, but I still have many things to accomplish at this other end,” Mike said regrettably. “But I will try to visit you as soon as possible.”

She guessed it was time she settled into this new life by herself.