The Grand Mistress

Upon hearing her daughter's words, Fara looked around to see whether the recent commotion had brought to many lurking and nosy servants. Luckily she didn't find anyone around. She hurried and locked the door, blocking all those who wanted to know what made the Han's heiress in distress.

"Feather picked up yourself, this is no time to be in fear," Fara dragged her daughter and shook her body to wake her up from her paranoia. With glaring eyes and constrained voice she added, "This is nothing and this shouldn't bother you,"​​

"Mama the rings. The one who sent the gift knew about those rings and...and.."

"Those are nothing," Fara cut her off completely, not giving any chance for her daughter to mention something that they long had all buried in the past. She saw how Feather was deeply troubled to the point that she couldn't anymore control her own emotions.

"The one who sent that gift knew nothing. Come to think of it.If they knew about what those rings were for, then you shouldn't be here anymore," Fara told her daughter while her two arms were still stuck on both Feather's arms. She had rationalized the situation immediately and thought "Or if they knew something...it should be nothing but just speculations with no solid evidence in their hand. That's why they decided to send us the gift. They want to see how we react with it,"

Hearing her mother's words, Feather tried to calm down. The pain brought by her mother's sharp nails on her arms caused her to awaken from her folly. However her knees were still shaking uncontrollably so she pushed her mother away and let her body fall back on her bed. She then wiped her tears away and tried so hard to erase that memory that was flashing back in her mind back and forth.

"What do you think they want from me?" Feather asked. She couldn't think right so she needed her mother's opinion then. Between her parents, her mother was the least she liked but she was however the one who always covered up for her. She didn't know however whether Fara's actions toward her was because of her motherly nature or because of something else. That something else revolved around the fact that Fara wasn't greatly recognized by the Hans and although she was currently the madam of the Han's household, many were her father's mistresses and she can be replaced anytime. Her only advantage from all those mistresses was that she bore the Han's heiress, Feather. The Han's heiress firmly believed that this was the reason why despite the fact that they weren't totally close, her mother always made sure Feather was perfect in her father and the elders eyes.

"They were just trying to scare you," Fara replied as she sat beside her. "Everyone in this country knows that you are to be married to Hawk Monsanto. Many envies you, not only women but also men whose businesses had no more hope in getting in touch with the Monsanto Empire. This is their way to get back at you and scare you off,"

"Mother…." Feather wasn't convinced at all. She knew the present was more than a simple scare from those businessmen her mother mentioned. The person who did this knew was someone directly or indirectly involved to those rings. By now, those persons had probably known her engagement with Hawk Monsanto and that they didn't like that. "This is more than what you think it is,"

"Feather my dear, just be calm and trust me on this okay?" Fara consoled her then. "You still have a pre-wedding concierto. You shouldn't dwell on these things long."

"But mother, how am I to be calm at this? You just chided me a while ago because I had been complacent in my dealings with President Hawk and now you're telling me to just let this go? Can't you see my mother?Iif President Hawk will know about this...it will greatly affect our relationship. We have to do something to make sure nothing like this happens again. Nothing ever!"

"Hush! Lower your voice or the servants might hear," Fara chided her out immediately. "Feather we don't even know who sent you this? How can we even deal with them so that they won't do this again? You see.. We're blind here. The only thing we can do is go on without lives and ignore these things,"

"There was only one family in this capital who knew about these rings. They're the ones who sent this to me," Feather tried to remind her mother. It has to be them, she was pretty convinced of that.

"That family had already been dealt with," Fara told Feather, "There's nothing left of them anymore and with all that happened to them, I don't think they still had confidence to go against us. They knew it's going to be dangerous for them,"

"We can't be sure of that," Feather replied, refusing to settle. "With what happened to them I'm sure they wanted to get back to us if they have the chance.

Fara thought of it. Her daughter's words somehow made sense. "Don't worry I'll go and check on them. It has been long since we have had news from them also, it would be better for us to check and look into their recent activities. However, keep this as a secret from you Father. We'll both end up dead meat if your father will know,"

Feather nodded in agreement. She too doesn't want her father to know as her father already decided previously to let that family off. The latter were a close family friend of theirs and so for the sake of old friendship, Mauro Han, Feather's father and the current president of Han's Scintillait gave his word not to cause anymore trouble for that family. However, with what happened today, Feather found it hard to ease her suspicion. She wanted to be sure that no matter what, that family will not be able to get back on their feet and be able to cause her trouble under any circumstances.