The Grand Mistress

Hawk breathed heavily at the sight of Lucas back. He turned to look at his laptop and looked at his and Simione's pictures meaningfully. It was a look of regret and disappointment, not for the girl but for the circumstance surrounding them. 

He wanted to get to know Cat more and wanted to fathom the mystery that surrounded her but he was already engaged to someone else and had promised to take care and make Feather happy. He was already responsible for Feather the moment he put an engagement ring on her finger and such responsibility does not only extend to making sure she  got everything she needed but with the fact that he should also think of her feelings. Surely his ventures with Cat would hurt her and the thought that the  news of his infidelity had reached her then made Hawk remorseful for the first time.

"President!" Lucas came back running through the door. He was in a rush that he did not even care to knock. "Miss Han was taken to the hospital!"

"What happened?" Hawk immediately rose from his seat and his instinct made him want to fly to wherever Feather was then.

"The report that I got says many had tried to confront her about the article circling online and she fainted—"

Lucas was not able to finish his words any longer as Hawk immediately fled and hurried toward the lobby of his office. All he was left to do was tail on him and called Hawk's personal driver to prepare his car. In  just a span of thirty minutes, they reached the hospital where Feather was taken. It was the same hospital where she had her injuries taken care of the last time.

The moment Hawk opened the door, he saw Feather lying on the bed crying. An IV drop was attached to her and her mother Fara was there at her side comforting her. When she noticed Hawk, she cried even more.

"What happened?" Lucas inquired on behalf of Hawk.

Madam Fara turned to them as Feather's face was buried in her chest. With a sigh she replied, "The photoshoot staff came at her and confronted her about a certain scandalous article and tried to hurt her. My poor daughter! She was sure shock that she fainted,"

"President Hawk?" Feather raised her head to look at Hawk pitifully. Tears were all over her pale face and she looked weak, hurt and devastated. Seeing how messed up she was, Hawk instinctively went near her bed to give her some comfort. Knowing that it was him who caused all those tears, Hawk felt more guilty with his previous misdeeds although it's really hard to regret such a magical night.

The moment Hawk came to her, Feather reached out and hugged him. She also buried her face at Hawk like a child who had finally found his knight in shining armor. "I was so afraid they would hurt me and they said you cheated on me,"

It was the first time that Feather had been that close to Hawk for a very long time as the last that they had hugged this tight was when he went to propose to her in London. After that, Hawk had been so busy with work and even when she came home to accommodate his request of marrying him, for some reasons, they rarely saw each other. However she was confident then knowing Hawk Monsanto had deep devotions with the girl he met in Somerset village and so she had never been bothered by their lack of constant dates and meetings like the usual lovers have.

On Hawk's part that time, after he had made his intention clear with Feather, he wanted to settle every important matter in his office before his wedding. He planned to spend more time with her by taking a leave in his office so he and Feather can travel around the world and make adventures together. It was what he had been dreaming of for years. It was the reward he looked forward to after all the years of thorough hard work. This was the reason why he spent less time with her after his proposal in London. 

Lucas actually thought this setup was unusual because he knew how Hawk had been longing for Feather for many years. He thought that after the president's proposal, he would constantly visit and date Feather as some longing like that cannot be helped. He was even planning to redecorate Hawk's penthouse as he was expecting he would house Feather in there and would not allow the girl to leave his sight. Besides, he thoroughly believed that if someone misses someone, he would always make time for her no matter how busy he was. However, surprisingly, Hawk continued doing his business and although he made sure to check on Feather from time to time, he never craved her presence like all men who are in love do. 

Lucas thought however that perhaps things were just different from Hawk, after all he had never seen him having a relationship with any woman and so he didn't know what kind of actual lover he was. Perhaps Hawk was just like that— unpassionate and unromantic.

Since Hawk was sitting on her bed, Feather's face was on his chest voluntarily pressing herself into him. Hawk's warmth calmed her and she could feel his heartbeat. She closed her eyes and felt the hard body of the man who was soon going to be his husband and felt a rising desire that ran into her stomach. Having him that close, she craved him so much that if only no one was there right then with them, she would seduce him to bed.

Before Hawk came, she was throwing tantrums about what happened in the photoshoot site and demanded all those employees be fired. Fara could do nothing but calm her down specially that she knew Hawk would come any minute. Feather was mad to hell knowing that her man was being snatched in front of his eyes just like that and she was wailing and cursing how shallow was the love Hawk had for the Han's heiress.

She did think Hawk and the woman he was looking for had a real connection. Something deeply rooted that no one could ever cut off. But seeing how Hawk was snatched easily by another shameless whore, she mocked and laughed annoyed at how such devotion was nothing but puppy love. Of course, knowing that woman, how can somehow take her that seriously? She was nothing but an orphan who had no home and title. She was an ingrate and a filthy little rat who once leeched and tainted the Han's name and reputation. Good thing they had gotten rid of her before she ruined their family for good. 

Knowing that she cannot rely anymore on Hawk's devotion, she planned to take the matter in her own hand. She'll make Hawk fall in love with her, either by hook or by crook.

"They said you cheated on me," Feather repeated, almost couldn't say it as she was then hurting.  Truth was she wasn't acting, it was what she really felt. She felt betrayed and dejected over it. As if her broken heart wasn't enough, people from the photoshoot even came and mocked her.

"Feather don't say that," Fara dismissed her daughter's light confrontation. Although she was suspicious, she however thought that perhaps they were only being tricked by their enemies that wanted to get in between her daughter and the great Hawk Monsanto. She acknowledged the fact that many were envious of her daughter these days and such a scandal was just one of their ways to ruin the couple's relationship. "You know how people are envious these days. You should not go and confront your soon to be husband for things that are obviously made up. Right Mr. Lucas?"

Lucas knew that Madam Fara just wanted to treat this matter as nothing as she didn't want the couple to argue over it. Seriously, was she that desperate that she would side with Hawk when it was very obvious that Hawk was cheating? Wow, it's really interesting how money can make all parents go blind to the welfare of their children.

"Ahmm," Lucas cleared his throat then opted to segway his answer, "Well..we have taken down those articles already and as for the people on the photoshoot, we have sent someone to investigate the matter,"

"See Feather? Your husband had already taken care of everything," Madam Fara sounded delighted at it. She then combed Feather's hair trying to appease her while she was still buried at Hawk. Good thing Feather knew how to act in front of Hawk which was rather unusual because her temperament was always extreme.

Feather certainly looked like a child being comforted by everyone, contrary to what Hawk remembered her. The young Feather wouldn't go acting like Feather did and instead would throw everything at him the moment he appeared at the door. The young Feather certainly knows how to defend herself, not only at people who try to hurt her but also with men who would go around playing his heart. Although the latter was inconvenient, Hawk still preferred that kind of Feather as it was something he really liked about her—her stubbornness, her courage, her spirit and bravery. She certainly would not hesitate to break up with him and give a hard time for dating another woman regardless if it was true or not.