The Grand Mistress

"William" Madam Silicia clung to her husband then, trying to make him reconsider. "You can go and I'll take care of the kids. After you had your lunch with him, you can come to Sisi's celebration,"

"Grandmother , I'm afraid my grandfather will be offended if you and Lydon do not come," Feather reasoned. Simione was just listening to their exchanges as her heart was too numb then to feel anything with Feather's schemes. "I believe grandfather invited you both so you guys can talk about Lyndon and I's future. You know my grandfather, I'm very precious to him. He even came home when he learned I am in a tight spot. This might be the chance to redeem your old friendship with him,"

"Feather just go. Our family is busy, we can't—"

"Grandfather Williams, I know your company needs investment now. I know I had wronged you unintentionally by hurting Sisi. I know you love her but Lyndon and I had been together for quite some time now secretly," Feather flushed her innocent face, taking over the conversation to fight the love she had desperately built in London with the Tang's grandson. "However could you really be mean to me and Lyndon. We love each other and we have struggled so much with this. To prove my love for Lyndon, I had begged my grandfather to make amends with you,"

"Feather, just go now and leave," Lyndon was starting to be angry with her although his heart did smoothen a bit knowing that she was doing this to fight for him. "Tell your grandfather my apologies but you see it is Sisi's graduation. I know he will understand,"

"Simione, are you surely going to let this happen? The Tang's and the Han's had been friends for ages before you came. Now they have a chance to be friends again, can you bear it in your conscience that this chance might be wasted? Do you really love Lyndon? How could you make things hard for him?" Feather's honey colored orb went to Simione now who was just standing at the sidelines watching her drama. She knew what Feather wanted. She just wanted to ruin her graduation celebration but it wasn't the one running in her head then. She was wondering why Don Benedicto came home when he loathed this country very much? Was it really because Feather requested him so?

"Don't listen to her Sisi, come on now let's go," Grandfather Williams' dragged her off as he already saw their ride parked at one corner and waited for them.

"Grandfather, grandmother, why don't you just go with Feather?" Simione didn't want to give in but it was only then that she heard of grandfather William's difficulty in business. She was aware that Don Benedicto was the one helping him before and so she think, he really needed to see him. "It's actually alright,"

"No Sisi," Grandfather Williams refused as he let the girl step into the car. Madam Silicia and Lyndon were still talking to Feather and so only the two entered the car first.

"Grandfather, have your businesses not been okay lately?" Simione inquired. Truth was she had no idea what was going on in the Tang's corporation and so she immediately became concerned with it. She was so young when she was fostered by the Tangs and so although she was aware that the Tangs and Han's severed their relationship because of her, she was not aware how this severance affected their business.

"The executive manager's report says our business is good," The old man replied. Grandfather Tang  was very active in public service and so he left the management of their family business to executive managers. It was supposed to be Lyndon's job to take care of it but their grandson chose ballet over anything. 

Hearing her answer, Simione was not convinced. She knew something was going on and she must have missed this fact over these years. The Han's were the Tang's reliable ally in business so when they severed their relationship, the Tang's must have suffered.

"Grandfather, why don't you go and talk to Don Benedicto?" Simione encouraged him. An immediate worry rose to her heart simply because she had never thought the Tang's had problems like this.

"Why would I?"

"He is your friend,"

"Sisi, if you are worried that—"

"Grandfather, your family has sacrificed enough for me. Feather is right, I can't keep ruining you,"

"Simione, you are not ruining us, believe me," The old man assured her. "Don't listen to Feather. You already know her personality, she always makes up things. Today is your graduation, we ought to celebrate,"

"Grandfather, tell me honestly, did Don Benedicto do something in your business?" Simione was suspicious. He knew the Don loathed her and so he must have hated the Tangs when they took her in. Hearing all these business predicaments from Feather, she thinks the Don had something to do with it. 

"Simione…the Don had never been home for years. How could you even think of such an idea,"

"He is a powerful man. He can do such things remotely," Simione worried, especially that grandfather Williams was trying to evade the conversation. Seeing Madam Silicia's hesitation earlier and her panic when Feather mentioned their business predicament, Simione could only guess there was indeed a problem in the Tang's corporation.

"Sisi, don't think something like that. Even when how things ended, he was still your family,"

"I'm an orphan. I don't have a family aside from you and grandmother,"

Hearing it, grandfather William only sighed and chose to tap her head. "You always have someone Sisi. You always have a family,"

Just when grandfather Tang said it, Lyndon and Madam Silicia stepped into the car. The old madam was then  nagging at how desperate Feather was about her invitation and was thinking whether she was telling the truth or not. It was very impossible for Don Benedicto to come home, even so, he must understand that they can't come.

Lyndon on the other hand was silent on the corner. He wanted to make it up with Simione today but Feather just ruined everything. Although he was deeply touched at how the Han's heiress was taking so much effort to keep him, unlike Sisi who at this moment wasn't even batting him an eye. He wondered then whether or not, there was still hope for them because it's like Simione wasn't anymore interested.

"Lyndon, look what kind of a woman she was?" Madam Silicia continued nagging. "She's as shameless as her mother. I can't believe she's Don Benedicto's granddaughter. She should be thankful she isn't that popular yet these days because if she was already, people might have recognized her. Ah, that girl! She's too reckless!"

"Enough my wife, let's just forget about the Han's heiress," Grandfather Williams tried to silence her. "Let's not ruin the mood, we have great things to celebrate,"

"Alright, I won't talk about it anymore," Madam Silicia withdrew, shaking her head.

Simione however fixed her eyes on the road. She was thinking about the recent conversation she had with grandfather Tang. She knew she was hiding something from her and she was very sure that it involved Don Benedicto. That old evil man. How could he not give up ruining her life until then? Does he really need to torture the Tang's just because they took pity on her?

She understood why the Han's severed their relationship with the Tang's, especially Feather's immediate family.  They really felt robbed when Simione stepped into the picture and her presence suppressed all of Feather's favors as the Han's heiress. What can she do? 

She was really better than her. That ballerina bitch ever since was just her desperate copy-cat. Too bad really, cause when they first met, she was really happy she had found a friend. Turns out it wasn't a friend she found but a back biting snake. 

But now, Lyndon and Feather really were trying to make a good relationship. Did she not reveal they had been together for long? Aido! She'll just ignore the fact that Lyndon had cheated on her for such a long time but she didn't want to make such a fuss anymore. They had broken up anyway.

Yep. They had broken up but even so, her presence kept pestering the man. Not only the man, his family too were being persecuted and condemned by Don Benedicto just because of her.

Thinking all of those, Simione just wanted to shriek. She had never felt so burdensome to the Tang's until now. Was she this burdensome to them ever since she stepped into their  mansion? All this time she thought it was only the friendship of the two families that had suffered because of her. It turns out, there was more to it.

Perhaps, it was really time to go.

She had to leave the Tang's already.

She was such a burden to the Tangs over these years and she didn't want them to suffer anymore Don Benedicto's wrath.. That old man was very dangerous, even though she was afraid of him.