JC: Finally! Chapter 20 is up. This could have been updated earlier, but I decided to add more scenes in the chapter. You'll get to find out who the mystery man is here. Alexis and Jaden are in for the surprise of their life. Mr. Rhodes is coming back and that's bad news for Alexis. In addition to that, things are shaky between our favorite couple right now. I hope you will enjoy this chapter! I can't believe I made 20 chapters already. Yay!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, people, or its characters, but the plot of this story is mine. All rights belong to Kazuki Takahashi.
White Vow
Turn 20: And the Mystery Candidate is…
Several hours into the night, Jaden lay awake on his bed, staring into the darkness. He couldn't sleep. How could he when he had hurt the girl he loved? They'd been so happy together, but the ugly truth came and ruined everything. Alexis' trust and love were far from his reach now. He knew how devastated she was to find out that she was treated like a prize. A ruthless shudder went through his body. He squeezed his eyes close against the pain in his heart. Alexis must be thinking that he really didn't want her, that he'd played her solely for the bargain. Part of him wished he could take back the past few hours and rewrite everything that had happened tonight.
He placed a hand over his temple, letting out a deep sigh. Their engagement would be called off, he thought, and the breakup would definitely bring a smile to Mr. Rhodes' face. Alexis would be forced into an unwanted engagement. He would also have to deal with that MAN's wrath for failing to keep it a secret from Alexis.
He flinched as the memories swept through him. After she'd left him last night, he picked up the document and ripped it to pieces. He'd been so frustrated with himself that he even kicked the chair, punched the wall, and threw his pillow, nearly breaking a vase. It was childish, he knew, but he needed some means to relieve his anger.
"What a mess you're in," the spirit lying inside of him had spoken.
"Here to add salt to the wounds?" Jaden sighed in frustration. "Be my guest."
"Despite your wishes, nothing could change what had occurred, Jaden," the spirit said.
"No shit!" retorted Jaden, burying his face into the mattress. "Alexis found the contract. She read it. Everything's over between us."
"Pathetic…Why are you giving up already? This isn't like you."
Jaden sat up and slapped his face hard with both hands. Then he let out a big sigh and leaned his back against the headboard. "I'm so stupid."
"And you realize that just now?" Yubel mocked.
"Give me a break here, Yubel," Jaden said. "I don't know what to do." He jumped off the bed, put on his shoes, and walked out of his room. Only an hour left till sunrise, he thought, so it was no use trying to sleep anymore. He figured taking a little hike into the woods for a breather, and he hoped he could think of a way to apologize to Alexis.
There was a cold rain that morning, and Alexis sat near the window watching it pepper down the garden. Her eyes were cold and desolate, and a frown had greased her lips. With the bags under her eyes, it was clear that she hadn't slept.
The maid had came and served breakfast in bed a few minutes ago. However, Alexis had no appetite to eat. She had simply left the tray on her bed untouched.
Suddenly a knock came at the door, startling her despite her being deep in thought. The person then came in, beaming a smile. Her heart ached as she watched the person draw near.
"Mornin' sissy!" Atticus chirped.
She ignored the greeting. "I have something to say." She rose from the chair and stared straight into his eyes.
"Woah! You look like you hadn't slept well," Atticus teased. "What's the matter? Don't tell me you spent the whole night thinking about Jaden?" He snickered.
Despite having good self-control, her patience was rather thin at the moment. She fisted her hands and slammed one fist into her brother's face.
Thrown aback by the force of the punch, Atticus held his sore cheek and looked up at his sister only to see tears streaming down. "A-Alexis?"
"You knew all this time…and you kept it from me…How long were you two planning on deceiving me?"
Rallying his thoughts and possibilities to why his sister was acting that way, Atticus came up with one conclusion. "So…you found out about the bet," he said, regaining his composure. "Did Jaden—"
"I found out on my own...and the worst part is…" She averted her gaze away. "David was the one who tipped me off about the bet. He said that he overheard you and Jaden talking about it." Alexis waited for her brother to come up with an explanation or excuses.
But he didn't.
"I'd like nothing better than to beat you and Jaden senselessly right now, especially Jaden… You think he can just trample my feelings like that?"
"Alexis, he—"
"He what? He planned on telling me?"
His jaw tightened.
"So what? It doesn't change the fact that he deceived me…that he did all this because of a bet…that he never loved me."
He lifted a dark brow. "You sure about that?"
"I read the agreement."
"Hmm…I see…" Atticus remarked, crossing his arms. "I assume you've already confronted Jaden about this."
"He flat-out admitted it."
Atticus sighed. "And now you've broken up."
"We were never a couple from the start." She gripped her upper arm and threw her brother a piercing gaze. "Of course, you knew it all along."
Atticus' lips curved into a small smirk. An idea had suddenly struck his self-proclaimed brilliant mind. "Hey, I almost strangled him when I found out," he said. "But Jaden was desperate. You know how scary that MAN is, so our J-man had no choice. And, if you must know, I only kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to hurt you." He could have told her how sincere Jaden was about her, but he decided that the couple should fix the problem on their own.
"I'm not letting you off easy, Atticus," she said.
"Yeah…I kinda expected that." He let out a nervous laugh. "Anyway…Don't you think your break-up might put you in a pinch? Knowing our old man, he'll probably push through with his engagement plans."
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I did consider that."
"And your fiancé candidate is still a mystery," he said wryly.
"If you're suggesting that I should go back to Jaden, forget it," she replied nonchalantly.
"Alexis, think about it. Why the hell would that MAN go through all the trouble of getting Jaden to be your fiancé?"
Her heart squeezed. Knowing that person, who may appear cold and callous to others, HE probably just did all that for her sake. HE had saved her from the accident and had taken care of her. HE cared for her well-being, and HE was almost certainly aware of her father's plans. "But…why Jaden of all people…?" she muttered under her breath. "Even so…I still hate the idea of being manipulated. And I think Jaden should be relieved. He was only forced to go out with me. Isn't that right?" Her gaze swept down.
"If that's what you want to believe, then yeah…" He strolled over to the bed and sat down. "Anyway…Mom told me that our old man's coming over tomorrow and marriage meeting is in his agenda. Guess you're gonna meet your fiancé soon."
She lifted her chin. "I won't let him have his way," she declared, her resolve flaring in her eyes.
"It's gonna be easier for him since you dumped Jaden," he said with a knowing smile, and she immediately grimaced. "Lexi, you may detest him now, but you're going to have to pretend in front of our father. He's been dying to get rid of Jaden, you know."
The fact that Jaden deceived her and took her feelings for granted was something she could not forgive easily. Once her father finds out, though, she would be vulnerable to his plans.
Winged Kuriboh appeared and sat beside Jaden on the sofa, inspecting him quizzically.
"I looked like shit, don't I?" he said.
The brown fur ball simply nodded in reply.
His heart felt like it was going to break, Jaden thought, as he sadly exchanged greetings with a maid who happened to pass by. Considering how much his life had changed in the few short weeks since he'd been with Alexis, he felt empty without her by his side.
"We were so tight." He sighed. "And now…Alexis just seems so…so far away from me."
"Kuri! Kuri-kuri!" Winged Kuriboh snuggled itself against Jaden, to give him a bit of comfort.
"I hurt her pretty badly…and I have no idea what to do, pal…"
At this time of day, he knew he would find Mrs. Rhodes in her office, likely reading a novel or a recipe book. He stopped just outside the closed door and cast a glance at the floor. "She's not going to be too happy about this." Hesitantly he gripped the knob and slowly turned it. Holding his breath, he entered the door.
"Yes?" called Mrs. Rhodes in her usual serene tone.
"It's me, Jaden…" he announced, as he walked inside.
Mrs. Rhodes looked up from where she sat at her desk. The usual sunny smile plastered on her face was replaced by a frown. "Oh…" Putting her novel away, she rose from the chair and walked around the desk. "I've been expecting you, Jaden."
He swallowed hard. "I…I didn't want to hurt her," he muttered, lowering his head in shame.
"Of course you didn't…" the woman said with a sigh.
"She must have told you how horrible I am, huh?"
She shook her head. "Atticus told me what happened…It's quite sad really."
"Sorry…"
A small silence folded around the two of them as Mrs. Rhodes pressed some buttons on the videophone. "This is no time to be sorry, Jaden, and you definitely can't quit now," she explained, steadying her finger on a big red button.
"What can I do?" he said with a shrug. "She doesn't want to talk to me. Hell, she doesn't even wanna see my face."
"I realize that," Mrs. Rhodes acknowledged. "But she loves you, Jaden."
His heart skipped a beat.
"And I know you love her too. What you did was wrong. I know you're aware of that. Nevertheless, the important thing here is your feelings," she explained, her lips curving into a small, gentle smile. "Jaden, please don't give up. You've got to do what it takes to win her over. You two are meant for each other—the perfect match—and I want you to be my son-in-law in the future." She giggled.
Blushing, he scratched the back of his head. "Wow…That means a lot," he said. "But I'm not really confident in—"
"Oh, hush!"She then she turned her attention to the screen on the wall behind her desk. "If I can't convince you, then HE might do something about it," she said, pressing the button to turn on the screen.
Raising his head, Jaden found himself staring into a pair of cold blue eyes. "Oh, crap!" he said, stepping back in shock.
"Jaden, dear, allow me to introduce HIM to you," Mrs. Rhodes said cheerfully. "Although I'm pretty sure you've met before."
"Man, I'm so dead," Jaden muttered, wishing someone would just shoot him right now.
"I see a dead man walking," Atticus chirped, wrapping an arm around Jaden's neck, as he walked out of his mother's office. "So, what did you and mom talk about?"
Jaden was pale, very pale, as if his soul had left his body. "Why bother asking? You already know. Now please excuse me. I have to go write my last will now," he muttered.
He laughed and slapped Jaden's back hard. "Come on, the deal can't be that bad!"
Jaden squinted his eyes, his expression severely exhausted in a way Atticus couldn't define. "If I mess up again, then it's goodbye dueling…goodbye Alexis…" He scratched his head vigorously, shaking it back and forth, as if he'd gone mad. "Why does this have to happen? This is too much pressure."
"You've been in dire situations before, dude" Atticus said.
"But this is different!"
"Hey! Don't you want to make up with my little sis?" Atticus asked, crossing his arms. "And where the hell did your confidence go?"
"It got flushed down the toilet the moment Alexis found out about the bet," Jaden replied with a sunken tone.
Atticus laughed. "J, this is so not like you." He patted the younger brunette on the shoulder. "How about I tell you the time how Mac and I got together?"
Jaden looked at him curiously. "What did you do?" he asked.
"Let's take this someplace else, shall we?" Atticus suggested.
Reaching the arena, Atticus started his so-called 'Sweet and Romantic' story of his life with a dramatic flair that gave Jaden a weird sensation in his stomach. Nevertheless, Jaden tried his best to not mind his mushy words and focus on the story.
According to Atticus, when their engagement was announced to their families, Atticus had begun a pursuit of her that had extremely annoyed Mac. Atticus himself had expressed no interest in the engagement and only wanted to be friends with Mac. She, on the other hand, had wanted nothing to do with Atticus because she never agreed to be betrothed in the first place.
They had both attended Duel Prep School in Japan, only for the first semester of her first year in her case, and she knew how he had taken out many girls and never been serious about any of them. She had rejected many of his invitations. She had managed to remain cool and casual in the face of his blatantly admiring eyes and the audacious compliments he paid her.
On a warm summer school day, as Atticus recalled, he made a bet with Mac in the hope of gaining her friendship.
"Let's me take you out tomorrow!" he had told her that day. "If I can make you smile, then our friendship is sealed. If not…then I won't bother you again."
Mac had wanted to refuse. She didn't want to go along with his plans.
"I know you and your brother are leaving for America in a few months…You're gonna continue school there, right? I just want us to be friends and create good memories. What do you say, Mac?"
Knowing very well that he was the kind of man who can woo any girl, she had put on a tight mask on the day of their 'friendly' date, still afraid of trusting him. He had accepted her evasive tactics at first with good grace. But once or twice she had caught her breath at a certain gleam in his eyes—something that signals her that he was true and sincere with her. Towards the end of the day, Atticus had failed in his quest to make her smile. However, he was given another chance by Mac.
On the night of the cultural festival at school he invited her to dance, and on the crowded dance floor she had relaxed her guard around him, allowing Atticus to hold her close. They swayed to the dance tunes, and as he turned her around, another couple accidentally bumped into them, causing Atticus to lose his balance. Both of them fell to the ground with Atticus acting as a cushion for Mac.
Mac drew a quick breath and red suddenly stained her cheeks.
Instead of getting back up, Atticus wrapped his arms around her, securing her. He winked an eye, smiling widely, as he said, "I know this is too close for comfort, but, hey, I'm loving it!" He then chuckled.
Mac had blushed even more. She had called him stupid and even punched his face. Atticus swore that his nose almost broke.
Still, after that incident, Atticus and Mac had gotten closer than before, even though he didn't succeed in making her smile. About a week and a half after the festival, Atticus invited to watch the moon at some distant hills. Pale moonlight was silvering the dark, mysterious mantle of bushes covering the slopes. The low tones of an owl mingled with the shrilling of the crickets. They had talked about a lot of things. Well, actually Atticus was the one doing most of the talking. And the conversation gradually shifted to the subject of their engagement. When Atticus said she was free to make her own decisions Mac couldn't prevent an involuntary sigh.
"I'll get us out of this engagement, I promise you that," Atticus had sworn to her.
Then sharply she replied, "There's no need!" She moved away from him, basically turning her face. "You're just gonna cause more trouble for me."
It took him by surprise, Atticus admitted, and then he figured that she probably just said that because she didn't want any help from him. She was, after all, a very headstrong young woman.
"Geez, man, you really like teasing her a lot," Jaden said, lying down on the bleacher. "So when's the mushy part gonna start?"
Atticus chuckled. "It's romantic, not mushy," he corrected. "Mac's the type who isn't open with her feelings. She's good at hiding them." He let out a sigh as he took a seat beside Jaden. "To tell you the truth, I actually fell in love with her at first sight. It was as if cupid rained its arrows on me."
"Why didn't you tell her that you like her in the first place?" asked Jaden.
"First off, she hated everything about the engagement. Secondly, she knows I'm smooth with the ladies. Third, if it weren't for that punch incident then I would have gotten off to a good start with her."
Jaden raised a brow. "Punch incident?"
"I accidently spilled punch on her dress." Atticus rubbed his right cheek with a fleeting smile. "And she punched me real good after that. Good thing it happened outside on the terrace or else everyone would have seen it."
"Seriously? That's some first impression you made," Jaden teased.
"You know…After that night of moon gazing…I couldn't bring myself close to her the next day…" Atticus leaned back against the tree. "The time we spent together made me realize my love for her even more. I wanted to tell her, but…"
"It's the engagement, right?" Jaden continued, and Atticus nodded. "Then how—"
"There was this girl in my fan club," Atticus said immediately. "She was kind of a stalker. She liked me and she hated Mac."
"Man, how popular are you? Girls just seem to flock around you," Jaden said.
"I'm just naturally attractive," Atticus announced with slight dramatic flair, and Jaden rolled his eyes. "Anyway…This girl had me cornered and she forced a kiss on me."
"And lemme guess…Mac happened to see that. Am I right?"
Atticus went silent.
"Then what?"
"She slapped me, then she ran away. I froze for about a good ten seconds before I went after her."
Atticus caught her right hand with his and forced her to turn around. "Mac, I can explain!"
She refused to look at him in the eye. "What's there to explain? It's not as if we're in a relationship," she said, voice icy cold.
"But we're engaged. I'm your fiancé!"
"Hello? Our parents made that decision for us!"
"Then why did you slap me? Why did you stop that girl from kissing me?" Atticus touched her chin, gently turning her face to him. "Mac…"
"You're never serious with girls." She kept up a strong façade. "You're just going to break her heart."
"She was the one who kissed me, not the other way around."
Mac narrowed her eyes. "Liar."
Atticus cracked a smile. "Mac, are you perhaps jealous?" he asked.
Mac pushed at him with one hand. "That's bullshit." She folded her arms in front of her chest. "Now why would I be jealous?"
"Maybe because you've fallen for me?" Atticus' smile grew bigger.
She bit back a gasp and forced herself to stay cool. "Don't flatter yourself, Rhodes."
Atticus snickered. "You know I'm right when you start calling me Rhodes."
"It's not like that at all, moron," Mac replied, her cheeks slightly red.
"Really now?" His arm came round her shoulders to draw her close. "Your expression says otherwise…" She stiffened a little, but as his hand raised her face and her lips were found by his, she remained passive.
His mouth was cool and gentle, and it took all her will power to resist the urge to put up her arms and bring him closer to her, to open her lips in invitation. Eventually he stopped kissing her and raised his head to see her face.
"You think I'm gonna melt? Sorry, but I won't," Mac said, trying to sound calm and chilly.
"You sure about that?" he asked, and bent his head again, touching the corners of her mouth with his lips.
It was unbearably sensual, and Mac jerked her head aside and moved away from him. "Now you're just harassing me." She wasn't going to admit it, but Atticus had actually made her feel so vulnerable and warm. "And here I thought you were too much of a gentleman to force a girl into anything like this."
"This is a different case since it's with the girl I love," he said, reaching across for her.
She hit out at him, her palm stinging against his cheek. "Your father probably put you up to this, didn't he?" She fisted her hands. "Or was it my father? Either way…I refuse to be manipulated by them."
Clenching his teeth, Atticus grabbed her wrists and pinned her back against the wall. "I'm not under anyone's orders," he muttered dangerously. "I know you didn't want to be engaged with me…That's why I tried my best to be your friend. I got closer and closer…but it made my feelings for you grew. I'm sorry for doing something selfish, Mac. I really am." His grip on her tightened as he moved closer to her. "Mac…"
She tried to turn her mouth away from him, but he captured it anyway. It was a sensuous kiss with an edge of thirst and passion, and she suffered in agony of wanting and hating him at the same time. When his mouth left hers it wandered to the warm hollow beneath her ear. "I'm sorry…I couldn't help myself," he said, leaning his temple on her shoulder. "Mac…I'm giving you a choice now…Push me away and I promise to cut my ties with you."
Relentlessly, she pushed him away, breathing heavily with cheeks stained in red. "Atticus…"
"So this is it then…"
Her eyes grew wide at the sight of his face—his face full of hurt and regret. It pierced her heart a thousand times. It was excruciating.
He turned on his heel and began walking away from her. With each step he took, her heart felt more pain. She didn't want it to end, not when they've already formed a bond, not when he already—
"Just hold it right there, Atticus!" she exclaimed. "You think I'll let you walk away just like that? Take responsibility for what you did!"
He didn't stop. He didn't turn. He didn't speak. He only continued walking.
Her hands fell and tears slipped between her lids and ran down her cheeks. "Take responsibility for making me fall in love with you!"
This time he stopped.
"Atticus…"
For a moment longer there was silence. Then he gradually turned around, gracing the blonde girl with a smile. "Definitely," he finally replied. "I'll take responsibility." He walked towards her, almost running, and embraced her to the fullest.
Jaden's mouth had dropped open. "That's some story, dude," he said. "You sure you didn't exaggerate? I'm telling Mac!"
Atticus let out a nervous laugh. "Hey! It was nothing but the truth. I didn't exaggerate anything. And don't tell Mac I told you. She'd kill me."
Jaden sighed. "Gee, I kinda envy you guys."
"Everything worked out pretty well between us," Atticus said proudly. "Our courtship didn't end there, though, and it had been stormy more than once. There were times Mac had decided not to go out with me just to tease me. Ahh…memories… I'm sure you and Lexi will—"
"I'm not too sure if I can do the same things you did." He had known how Alexis would react to the big secret. It would have been better if it came out from his own mouth, but she found out for herself, which made things more complicated.
"Relax. You don't have to do it my way. Just be yourself."
"I've gotta show Alexis that I really love her," Jaden said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You were pretty sincere with Mac and honest…I can see why she fell for you."
"Gentleness, passion, and sincerity," Atticus said, veiling his eyes as his gaze lingered on Jaden's. "That's all you need, J, and a good plan."
Jaden sighed. "The plan's—"
"Set," Atticus supplied, somewhat excited. "You just have to set it in motion, J."
It was the day of the marriage meeting—an event she dreadfully anticipated. The weather had been turning cooler lately and Alexis was more than fine about it as it seemed to respond to her current mood. It seemed silly to think that way. Her breath frosted on the air, but she barely noticed the chill, too numb inside to be affected by the cold in the garden.
She was strolling alone that early morning until a second set of footsteps soon joined her. Turning around, she saw Jaden approaching her. A familiar pain rose inside her chest as she stilled herself with an icy expression. She took note of the tired look on his face and the bags under his eyes. Clearly he hadn't slept well like her.
"Cold weather today, huh?" Jaden said.
She blatantly ignored his words. "You think I'm in the mood to see you this early."
He suppressed a shiver. "I didn't come here for you. Heck, I didn't even know you were here."
Alexis rolled her eyes. "A likely story," she said sarcastically.
He slipped both hands inside his pockets and took a step toward the rose bushes. "Damn, you really hate my guts…don't you?" he muttered, gaze lingering on the red roses. "I know saying sorry won't be enough to make up for it. I've given this a lot of thought and I…I wanted to pack my bags and leave. What I did was wrong…totally and insanely wrong."
Alexis kept her chin up. "You sound regretful. Or are you putting up an act again? How can I tell?" Inwardly she was proud at herself for being composed in front of him, though her heart was aching. "The trust I had once for you is gone."
A deep frown greased his lips. "Can't blame you…"
Alexis scoffed. "In spite of all that, however, the fact remains that I'm still your fiancée in my father's eyes. Given our current predicament, I refuse to let him have the upper hand, which is why I'm telling you to be my fiancé for a little while longer."
Jaden's brown eyes widened in shock. "So we're gonna pretend in front of your old man again?"
"It's the least you can do after what you did."
He shook his head, refusing to meet her gaze. "I don't know about this."
"Aren't you good at acting?" She took a step towards him, meeting his gaze head-on with confidence. "You should put that talent to good use."
Jaden swallowed hard. "Don't you think your old man might notice?"
"Like I said, you're good at what you do," she said, folding her arms. "You've deceived him once and you can do it again."
"What about the guy your old man chose?" he said in a wry tone. "He's coming too, isn't he?"
She shot him a piercing look. "I'll make him back off…with your help of course." She turned her back at him, placing a hand over her heart. The overwhelming pain in her heart almost made her lose her mask. It had taken her a great deal of strength to speak coldly to him. "I'd rather be single for the rest of my life than be paired up with you or any other guy for that matter."
An unplumbed look passed over his face as he gazed into the distance. "Are you really sure about that?"
"I don't want to risk being manipulated again." She calmed her emotions and faced him again. "I've had enough of it."
His gaze swept down, realizing how hurt Alexis was. "Fine…If that's what you want."
"ALEXIS! JADEN!" Atticus' voice rang loud as he hastily made his way towards them. "While it amazes me to see you two together on a chilly morning such as this, I'm afraid to say this but…"
Alexis narrowed her eyes. "Skip the drama and spit it out, Atticus," she said coldly.
Atticus shivered. "Are you still pissed at me?" he asked, all childish-like, and she simply snubbed him. "Figures…Anyway…Bad news, you guys. Dad and Alexis' fiancé have arrived at the airport! They're on their way to the mansion as we speak. Mom says to get ready."
Anxiety began to surface, but she kept her expression intact. "I'm not worried. I had a little talk with Jaden here and we're all set."
Atticus raised an inquiring brow. "Huh? What is this about, sis?" he asked, and she promptly turned her head away to ignore him. "Geez…You're a handful. Oh, I've gotta get back. Mom's expecting me to help her in the kitchen. Later!" With that, he took off.
Jaden briefly glanced at Alexis before starting towards the mansion. "I'll do my best in front of your old man," he muttered, looking back at her softly. "But don't think everything's gonna be an act, Alexis. I wouldn't want to lose—"
"Our friendship?" She continued for him. At that moment she caught a hurt look on Jaden's face. "Hey…I'm not cruel enough to deny you that."
"Yeah…I guess…" He turned away, racing to the mansion.
When Jaden was finally out of her sight, she crumbled to the ground almost instantly as if her knees had turned to jelly. Tears had found their way out and were streaming down her cheeks like a river. Her heart was wreathing in pain. She had perfect control over herself in front of him, in spite of her urge to embrace him. But she couldn't and her pride wouldn't let her.
Mr. Rhodes looked up from where he sat at the private lounge room. His beautiful wife sat right beside him with a cup of tea in her hand. Both had been expecting the two young individuals for quite a while now.
The wealthy Mr. Rhodes had his eyes narrowed at the young Slifer graduate. "Honestly, what do you see in this worthless slacker, Alexis?" he said.
His wife set her cup down, elbowing him in secret by covering up with a graceful touch on the shoulder. "Now, dear, none of that," she said with a somewhat threatening tone underneath the politeness.
Stopping himself from cracking a roguish come back, Jaden cupped a steadying hand around Alexis's elbow. "As usual…" he muttered softly to Alexis.
"Don't get too comfortable with me and remember to keep up the act," she said.
Mrs. Rhodes smiled and gestured a hand to the seats across her. "Please take a seat, you two," she said.
Jaden felt like it was a long walk to the couch. Mr. Rhodes was glaring at him nonstop. If looks could kill, then he'd probably be in a coffin by now. But the glaring ceased the minute they settled down on the couch. Then Jaden noticed that the old man had his attention focused elsewhere, and he seemed to be smiling. This spelt trouble for him, Jaden thought.
"We've been expecting you," Mr. Rhodes said.
Jaden and Alexis followed Mr. Rhodes' gaze toward the door. Much to their surprise, the man they least expected to be there was present right before them. Clad in a white suit with a blue necktie, the man stood there, staring at them with a cold, hard face. Jaden couldn't help but bolt up from his seat in surprise. He was hit by a sudden wave of frustration, though he controlled himself with some effort. His thoughts, however, were in something like panic. This was never in the plan he had agreed upon the day before.
Alexis was just as dumbfounded as Jaden was. She hesitated a moment before speaking, staring straight into the man's blue eyes. "What are you doing here?"
He had looked grim, his mouth slightly contorted. "Did they fail to tell you, Alexis?" he answered her.
"Alexis, I want you to meet your fiancé," Mr. Rhodes said, clasping his hands together on his lap. "Mr. Seto Kaiba."
To be continued…
JC: Well, were you surprised? Or did you expect this? Hehe…Since from the very beginning I've already decided to let Seto Kaiba into this story and be a rather ambiguous character. The scene was actually planned out a long time ago, though I wasn't so sure how to write it out. Remember, this started out as a birthday request from my friendand one of her favorite characters, aside from Alexis and Jaden, is none other than Seto Kaiba. Knowing Kaiba, I'm sure that you guys are aware that he always has something up his sleeve. I'm glad I managed to finish up this chapter. Now to work on the next one. Please review! No flaming!