Burning Passion

CHAPTER 273: PROTECTING LUCY and the KISS

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It has been two weeks since New Year's Eve. Steven and Harry continue their Internship while attending classes in the afternoon. 

But one afternoon, they received a call from Seth... The guy volunteered to clean the mansion on his weekends, he received a spare key from Harry to come over any time he wants to do his chore. Sometimes, he comes straight from his school to prepare food for Steven and Harry, and he then sleeps over in the mansion.

"Seth, what's the matter?" asked Harry worriedly. He and Steven were in the company when Seth called them from the mansion. They could hear Lucy crying from the end of the line. They immediately drove to the mansion to check out these teenagers.

Now he and Steven shifted their gazes toward Seth and Lucy, who continued crying. 

"Brother Harry, can we stay here for a while?" 

"Have you eloped with Lucy?" raising a brow, Steven asked the young couple.

Shaking his head constantly, Seth's face was like a bitten red. Stuttering, he responded, "Don't say that, brother Steven! We're too young to do that!" 

Pushing a smirk, Steven teases Seth further, but Harry cut in. 

"Why don't you explain to us what happened and Lucy we're crying like this? I thought you already made her pregnant... Oh, wait, that's just a couple of weeks past! How dare you!" Harry jokes.

Dropping his jaw to the floor, he can't believe the twins joining force to tease him! But it's not the time to do that.

"You, twin brothers are unbelievable! That's not it! You know that... Never mind." He paused for a moment, then continued. "Here's what happened today. I went to Lucy's school to pick her up. But I caught the group of men pushing her inside a van. I manage to save her. Then we escape from them. We lured them, and it was your mansion I remembered, so we came to hide. I think no one will suspect we're here. They won't dare to come into your mansion, right? Please, let us stay here, brother Harry and brother Steven." 

Shocked at what they heard, Steven and Harry said once. "Lucy almost kidnapped?" 

"It looks like an abduction to me," Seth retorted.

"Why?" confused, Harry creased his forehead with this question. He tried to ask Lucy, but she just remained lowering her head, crying.

"Maybe we should ask Mary?" Steven suggested.

"How about we ask the girls to come over for them to take care of Lucy? She doesn't want to talk to us. I think she would just open up with the girls around," said Harry.

Steven patted Harry's shoulder. He concurred, "Great idea, brother!"

It took a while before any of the girls arrived. It was Kristina and Emily who came first as Mary was still on her way from work. 

"Lucy, what happens?" Kristina quickens her pace, she then sits next to Lucy, and hugs her. 

"Sister Kristina..." 

It was Seth who explained what he told Steven and Harry. Kristina nodded. Now she has an idea what question to ask Lucy. 

"Do you know who they are?" 

Lucy nodded. Kristina shared a glance with the others before she continued to ask Lucy. 

"Can you tell us what they want? Why are they taking you?" 

"They wanted to take me to China." 

"Oh, why?" It was Emily asking this time.

Snorts, Lucy explained, "They said I was the heir of the Tan Household. They will send me to prestigious schools, train me to become an elegant lady and everything. But I heard their talk. They want me to marry someone when I reach eighteen! I don't want to get married to someone I don't know, and I don't love!" 

"Is this the reason you were hiding here in the US, right?" Harry chimed in.

Lucy nodded. "And they found me right away..." she said in a low voice.

"If Tan Household is an influential family, it would be possible for them to find you quickly." 

"I don't want to go! I don't care if they are rich! I don't need them! They just wanted me to marry someone for power and money! They were just using me!" Saying this, Lucy burst out crying.

Steven and Harry exchange a glance at each other. They know better this kind of setting, and so they understand.

Kristina and Emily tried their best to comfort her. Later, they encourage Lucy to take a rest. After Lucy fell asleep, Kristina went to the kitchen to help make dinner for them. 

"Hi, need help?" She asked Harry, who is currently stirring the noodle on a big frying pan. "Wow. That looks yummy!" she complimented the mouthwatering food before her eyes.

Harry beamed. He twirled a few noodles on the chopsticks. He then raised his hand and asked Kristina to have a taste. 

"What do you think? Do I need to add seasoning?" 

Blushing, Kristina opens her mouth and takes a munch at the fried noodle Harry offered for her to let her take a taste judgment.

"Hm... Sweet!" 

"You don't like it?" 

"I like it!" She raised a thumb, then picked up another set of clean chopsticks to taste more of the noodle. 

Harry watched her amusingly. She seemed to like the fried noodles he prepared for the first time. 

When Harry finished cooking the fried noodle, they joined Seth and Steven outside, who was grilling pork steak and chicken legs. 

Finally, Sam and Mary arrive along with Lee. At the rectangular table, they've discussed Lucy's situation. Since no one was home in the mansion, Harry and Steven allowed Lucy and Seth to hide there.

"I only have classes in the morning. I will stop working at the restaurant, for now, to accompany them by the afternoon," Kristina declared.

"Thank you, sister Kristina!" It delighted Seth that their friends were willing to help them.

Kristina patted Seth's back she said, "Don't worry, we're here to help you. Okay?" 

"If you find any suspicious people outside, call us in the office during the morning and by the afternoon, call the boys' dormitory to notify the football team," Steven advised Seth how to notify them if the situation is bad.

"Brother Steven, you are the best!" 

"Shut up! Don't hug me! EW! Your nose! Stay away!" Steven dodges Seth's hug. He runs around to avoid the guy who catches a cold the other day but insists on seeing Lucy. Gladly, he insisted, or else he wouldn't find that Lucy was taking it away.

For a while, the tension lightens up. And replace with laughter. 

During the night, Seth wakes up to watch any suspicious noises outside the mansion. Harry and Seth have three canine dogs. They lose their leash and wander around at night since it surrounds the mansion with fences. 

And during the day, Seth was sleeping and just woke up to eat or watch a movie with Lucy. The two seemed to have a mutual understanding but were shy to admit. They were too innocent about love. 

One afternoon, Harry had no class; he went home early from his Internship. Since he and Steven just worked at their own company, they could slack time anytime they wanted. 

"Brother Harry! Wow! Pizza!" Seth's rush toward Harry to take the food from his hand. "Thank you, brother Harry!" 

Harry chuckled, watching Seth acting like a little child, feeling so excited about seeing his favorite food.

"Where are they?" He asked after noticing how quiet the house was. 

"Sister Kristina is giving Lucy some lessons in the library." 

"I see. That's a great pastime. I'm glad they came up with an idea." 

Later, Lucy comes down, she joins Seth in the living room, eating pizza and potato fries. Harry just finished taking a shower. He noticed that only Lucy came down. He walked toward the Library. He found Kristina immersed in sketching with the flowerpot on the cocktail table. 

He leans on the door jamb, quietly observes her finishing the last touch of her sketch. 

Kristina, on the other hand, didn't notice the man standing behind her. The moment she notices Harry, she gasps in surprise. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Harry apologized, walking toward the sofa and seated next to Kristina. "That was beautiful," he praised. 

Seated next to Harry and this close, Kristina's chest-beating crazily. The guy's aftershave expelling out from his body made her daze, inhaling Harry's enticing odor. 

'What were you doing, Kristina? Behave yourself!' 

She's focused on scolding herself; she didn't notice that Harry was peering at her intensely. He noticed that Kristina's brows furrowed. He was curious to know what she's thinking at the moment. She seems gloomy and upset. 

"What's the matter?" asked Harry. This time, it amused him when Kristina's expression changed. She was blushing. And he finds it cute. It looks like things are bothering her mind. 

Well, Harry has no idea that the thing bothering Kristina was him. All of a sudden, his hand stretched and tucked in the strands that covered her face. 

Surprised by Harry's action, Kristina was staring at Harry with a funny face. She frowned when Harry burst out laughing. 

"You're making fun of me?" Kristina pouted. 

Finding her cute this way, Harry held Kristina's face with both of his palms and kissed her. Didn't see it coming, Kristina froze on the sofa. 

She felt like she was dreaming. But Harry's warm lips prove to her that she is not.. Instead, it tempts her to respond, and she did.