Bonus Chapter: Part 2

Lights! Camera! Action!

"All right, bud. Just pretend that you're sleeping," Haroun said as soon as the tape rolled in, Friso began to breathe slowly and made snoring noises to make himself appear that he was fast asleep. As much as the director wanted to make a facepalm since the scene was a failure at its first take, he didn't since he found that scene adorable. He made a note to tell the editor to mute it since he didn't want to ruin the authenticity he and Zhen were looking for.

"Okay, steady... you can wake up now," he directed, and not a moment later, the child twitched, rose from the bed and stretched with a yawn as if he just woke up from bed. What a natural actor!

"Okay... now start doing what you do first thing in the morning. Pretend that we're not here."

Being the bright and smart child he was, Friso followed Haroun's words and stretched once more before starting to look around. It lasted more than a minute, and the crew began to panic about why he was acting that way. "Where's mama or dada?" he then asked, looking at the camera.

"Cut!" Haroun ordered and the camera operators stopped recording. "What's wrong, Friso?" he asked in a gentle voice. The child might have been confused about what to do next, and he didn't want to frighten him. Kids could get easily upset with adults being disappointed in them.

"Mama or dada?" the child asked again with his index finger on his chin.

"Mama or dada?" the director repeated the question, his brain going in shambles.

"Yes." Friso nodded. "Mama or dada."

"Erm..." everyone fell silent for a moment, clueless about what the young man meant. They began to run their thoughts, especially Haroun. Each was finding ideas from the child's words. Did he want his mother and father to be present during the shooting?

"Mama or dada comes to greet Friso good morning!"

"Oh, gosh. I'm sorry!" Allison suddenly entered the conversation, stepping beside Haroun. "It's usually either Hades or me, or both of us greeting him with a good morning kiss when he wakes up..." she paused and leaned close to him, whispering in his ear: "He cries when he doesn't see us."

"I see, Mrs. de Vries. It's all right." The director nodded understandably then asked: "Is it okay if we roll you in the scene?"

"Much obliged." The doting mother nodded excitedly.

"Awesome," Haroun said with a smile spreading on his lips and they began to discuss some additional details and dialogue on the scene. "Okay, Friso. We're gonna pretend that you're sleeping again. Your mama's coming this time. Is that okay?" he turned to the young boy.

"Was Friso not doing good in playing pretend?" the boy asked with his doe-like grey eyes grasping a hiccup of the fear of failure and disappointment. Haroun understood this kind of fear since Friso was at the age that'd crave constant love and attention. Disappointing adults, who were keen figures that they look up to, especially their parents was an absolute no-no for them.

"No, no! You did great, buddy!" he denied, gently shaking his head to comfort the young man who was close to crying, his cheeks puffing and eyes reddening in contempt. "You helped us how to make things go better," he said, walking near the bed and squatting down to meet the child's gaze.

"Also, Friso..." he paused for a while, thinking about the next words he was about to say. "It's okay if you don't snore, my guy. You're already good with closing your eyes."

"But I thought it was gonna make things look better," Friso said innocently. What a thoughtful child!

"You're already a natural," Haroun replied. Little did he know that he made someone's day.

"Scene 1, take 2. Lights, camera, action!" the clapper was snapped and in a nanosecond, the tape rolled in once again. Friso, now more motivated to participate in playing in the shoot, rehearsed what he had to do. Remembering deep into his mind what the director told him about being a natural, he closed his and adjusted his breath just as how he observed his parents did whenever he caught sight of them being in deep sleep.

He was an intelligent child and could easily catch on to everything, even observe specifics that adults could not. But that didn't mean that he was perceptive enough to comprehend that what they were doing was for a television show. He did not even know how humans could fit on a flat screen, or why a drawn cat could move and fail to chase a small mouse, and firmly believe in the existence of the tooth fairy. He was still a child full of wonder about the certainties and uncertainties in the world. A small fish in a large and wide tank. He possessed profound innocence, but the intelligence that he inherited from his parents would soon eliminate it.

Amidst the sight of the darkness, Friso began to inhale, holding in his breath for a good moment before exhaling slowly. It was how his dad breathed when he had napped on his office's sofa. The boy sometimes found it funny seeing his father's abdomen rise and fall at a turtle's pace since there were times that he'd suddenly snort, which was an unexpected sight to see from a large, brooding man such as Hades himself.

Friso waited for a while longer before opening his eyes when he heard Haroun that he could get up. The sun's soft rays hit his face as he took off the blanket from his face and rose for a stretch, like how he would usually do on a quiet Saturday morning. Earlier, he had been panicking about what to do with this game, but after the short break and the director's encouraging words, he was now confident and adamant about playing his role.

He held his small, chubby paws together and raise his arms for a good stretch. He admired his father very much for being tall and wanted to be of the man's height someday when he grew up. He once heard from Richard that he could sprout quickly by stretching first thing in the morning—and he made it a habit.

"Good morning, mama!" he enthusiastically chirped to his mother as soon as he turned his face and saw the red-headed beauty sauntering towards him.

"Good morning, my little love," his mother greeted back softly as she sat down on the edge of the bed to kiss his forehead and wrap him in a warm embrace. As oxytocin began gushing in his bloodstream, the child's cheeks tugged, pulling the side of his lips upward for a smile. His mother tended to have this earnest presence that made him feel he was home. His father would often time embrace him too, and his buff arms always gave Friso the sense of security he needed.

He grabbed the fabric of his blanket and pushed it aside, and they proceeded to do his kiddie morning rituals. It was essentially recreating what he usually did to start his day, he got to fix his already tidy bed, brush his teeth, wash his face, and take a short bath. Everything else went smoothly and the shooting progressed only less than 5 retakes.

"How do I look, mama?" Friso asked as he raised his arms and twirled to show off the outfit that he decided to wear. The crew melted at the sight of the child's giggly expression, such cuteness was illegal!

"You look great, honey!" Allison complimented, fixing the ruffled ends of his shirt then asked: "Are you excited to show this to dada?"

As soon as she asked that question, the child gasped and held his cheeks, which puffed and emphasized the surprise on his face. The comical look on his face had Haroun tell Jamaal to zoom in on Friso's face. He knew the viewers were going to love that expression. "Dada's not going to work today?" Friso asked. It had been a long time since he had some quality time with his father, the man had been busy with his business lately and only spent time with Friso by giving him a good morning and good night kiss. Astoundingly understanding than how he should for a child his age, Friso would pout when no one was looking and silently mope with the fact that he couldn't spend much time with his father as he used to.

"That's right, he's going to play pretend with Friso the whole day."

"Dada's playing with me today!" the child cheered and began running around the room when he heard the answer that he had been dying to hear. "I get to play with dada. I get to play with dada," he sang while tapping his feet into a dance. He was extremely happy that he couldn't contain himself from dancing. Everyone else who watched him perform prevented themselves from chuckling, except for his mother, who was undeniably amused by his reaction.

"I see that you're pretty excited." Allison said between her laughter. She was amused by her son's chipper reaction. It was her first time seeing Friso dance so enthusiastically just because he was happy.

"Yes, I am!" Friso exclaimed with indescribable joy as he hopped back to his mother after making a distance because of his fancy dancing. "I missed playing with dada," he added, his eyes holding a hint of yearning. He was very much attached to his father, and the time that they hadn't had a proper interaction was painful.

The empathetic mother looked at her son quietly for a while, looking particularly at the child's eyes that held such a gut-wrenching emotion. Feeling her heart lurch at that moment, she decided to talk to Hades about making more time for Friso after this. Well, it was one of the reasons why Hades accepted becoming a feature in this show's episode anyway. It was to find an excuse to spend quality time with Friso.

"Looks like you're all set. Let's go?" she patted several mangled parts on Friso's clothes and smiled brightly at the child, standing up.

"Yes!" Friso answered and held his hand up, which she wholeheartedly took. It felt cute how small the child's hand folded into hers. It felt fulfilling for some reason, directly feeling the touch of another life she bore from herself. One day, there would come a time when his hand will be bigger than hers. She hoped that day would come a tad bit slower.

They began to walk out of the bedroom, passing by the crew who followed them with an expectant gaze. Allison looked behind to see if Haroun would signal that the tape stopped rolling, but the director waved his hand at her, motioning to keep on going since the tape was still rolling.

Getting the signal, she turned back to Friso, and they both walked down the hall with everyone else following them from behind. It was supposed to be a shoot with a tinge of awkward-like atmosphere, but it wasn't since little Friso was a bit too chatty. He ended up entertaining his mother with his random unpredictable questions. Most were assurances if he could really get to play with his father. He would then cheer in delight to when answered with "yes."

"Are we weally playing with dada?!" he suddenly asked the crew behind them for reassurance, his grey orbs sparkling with glee at the director, who gulped since he was now included in the conversation. It felt like the 4th wall was broken. Never mind, he'd have it edited out.

"That's right." Haroun declared and the excited boy squealed for the nth time. "Yay, I... I'm so egz... egs..." he tried to get the word out but his tongue and tired lips weren't cooperating with his meter-breaking energy. The people behind Haroun and the cameramen controlled themselves from laughing out loud out of amusement, waiting for the child to finally say the word he wanted to say.

"Egz...woited! Egzwoited!" he finally said it, and everyone else could no longer hold themselves back. Even Allison was already choking her own laughter. Her son was just too adorable!

"What's funny?" Friso asked, confused about their reaction.

"Oh. It's nothing, baby," his mother replied. "You're just too cute!" she added, pinching his chubby cheek.

When they arrived behind the dining room, Haroun had the cameras out. "Prepare the setup for scene 2," he declared. The team was quick on their feet for the next move, they packed up the remaining paraphernalia left in the bedroom while the flow of the second scene was being oriented.

"Mr. de Vries..." Haroun called for Hades since he was now involved in the scenes. The man looked around and ended up walking into the dining room where his entire world stopped. He fell stiff on his position, and a broad ray of light flashed on his face, blinding him.

There he was, Hades de Vries, in all his unimaginative glory. He was sitting elegantly on his seat, his long legs crossed into an elegant de quattro posture. His right arm stretched as it held the tabloid he was reading from an arm's length while his other hand was holding the mug of coffee he was sipping satisfyingly. Everyone froze in their spots, in awe of the breathtaking view. There was no need for any lighting or mechanical enhancement to make the scene look more astounding. It was already a god-tier scene itself.

"Oh, director," he looked over in their direction when he noticed their presence. He put his coffee back on the table shortly. "I thought it was going to take a bit long t—"

"Stay that way, Mr. de Vries," Haroun cut him off as something sparked in his eyes. It was a sight to see, a peak of perfection! He must capture the broodingly charming man in such a sinfully handsome pose at once!

"Jamaal, come with me and shoot this," he called for poor Jamaal and began directing the operator on capturing shots of Hades from different, unimaginative angles. The latter was indefinitely exhausted with all the demands given and positions he had to pull off just to get the perfect angles the demanding director wanted. He deserved a raise, and some yoga classes.

"What was that for?" Hades asked the satisfied director when it was finished. The crew behind them ran off and began setting up, though some were in a daze after witnessing the godly view. It would be forever set in their minds.

"It was art, sir!" Haroun answered with such unconcerted conviction. At that time, he felt like Michelangelo carving the statue of David. It was unusually fulfilling.

"Art?"

"Yes, art!"

"All... right..." Hades trailed off, his brow slightly raised in confusion at how the creative was acting. Looks like what he heard from the mainstream were right, directors do have unique quirks.

"Dada!" a keen voice called for him, and a small tug on his blazer stole his attention. He looked down on his seat and saw Friso clinging to his clothes, cheeks puffing and lips pouting while looking at him with anticipation with his large, doe-like, grey eyes. His heart immediately melted at the sight.

"Hey, buddy," he said, rested his newspaper on the table, and picked up the young man. "You look fresh today, no?" he asked and began snuggling his nose on his son's neck, to which the latter laughed heartedly since it felt ticklish. "Dada! Tickle!" Friso said between his laughter when Hades started to plant kisses on his face as well.

"Wow, that was a good take," a voice said that stopped Hades from further tickling his son and raining him with kisses. In front of them was one of the other cameramen and Haroun... again. This time, he was holding the script, and the people watching them had increased, which included Allison and now a new batch of the household's servants.

He faked a cough. "What do we do now, director?" he asked and placed Friso on his lap.

"Oh? Oh yes, Mr. de Vries!" Haroun hastily ran beside him and began explaining what to do in the next scene. Allison would also have several parts to partake in, but she wouldn't be in the spotlight anymore like in the first scene. There were a few adjustments on the furniture, and setup done, and after a few readings on several lines to be answered in the script, it was good to go for another shoot.

"No, no. Can't you see they're already perfect?!" Haroun exclaimed at one of the makeup artists who came and ask if she could apply some light makeup on the family. She was given the same remark earlier when she was about to put on some makeup for Mistress de Vries.

"You ready, baby?" Allison asked Friso, who was now standing behind the walls, waiting for the clapper's signal.

"Ready!" the child said with full, dead-set determination. He was finally going to play with his dada, and he would not fail!

"Scene 2, take 1. Lights, camera, action!"

"Dada, good morning~" Friso chirped as soon as he entered the dining room, flailing his arms excitedly as he happily skipped to his father's lap.

"Good morning to you too, son," a smiling Hades greeted back brightly. From Friso and Allison's view, it was the same old charming smile that he always showed them with his eyes holding the gaze that screamed how much he cherished them. But from the others, it looked like a monster's lopsided smile. It looked terrifying.

The butler, Richard, pulled a highchair out of nowhere and replaced it from the chair resting next to Hades', "Take a seat, young master," the elder said, effortlessly lifting the boy and putting him right into place. The child giggled and greeted him as well, "Good morning, grandaddy Richard."

One by one, servants came and served them breakfast. Friso didn't let the opportunity pass and greeted them all, "Good morning, Ms. Miwanda. Granny Ishtole, Mrs..." The crew was in awe at how well-mannered he was. His parents raised him right!

"Good morning, Young Master," they all greeted in reply with large smiles forming on their faces.

"Wo...ow," Friso drooled at the sight before him. He was sitting on the high chair built and adjusted to be on the same level as his parents, so he could see what food they were having for breakfast. It had his parents' usual Sunday morning feast of pancakes, bread, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, and vegetable soup, but today's Sunday was different, and rare because his favorite mushroom omelet was served! He was often fed with plain Gerber, porridge, and whatever "nutritious food" served by the head chef.

Meanwhile, as Friso was drooling on his freshly served breakfast, his parents were on their usual lovey-dovey-like-we're-newlyweds session. The shared intimacy and romantic connection were not different, even with the cameras on.

"Hello again, beautiful," Hades welcomed his wife strutting slowly towards him by reaching out his thick hand and holding onto her waist. He loved being close to her, if he could, he would stick next to her for a lifetime but of course, that could not be.

"I'm sorry again. Have we met somewhere before?" Allison asked with a bewildered expression on her face, to which he smirked. He knew what she was up to, she was playing with him again.

"Of course." Just as he always did, he went with the flow with her little play, took her hand, and lifted it to his face for a light, gentle kiss. His wife's hand was smaller, softer, and warmer than his own. It was the same hand that held him with such tenderness. "Or maybe I am mistaken and mistook you for someone precious."

"Someone..." she hummed, pretending to be ignorant, but her lips were lifted in a devious smile. "Precious?" when she said those words, her smile grew wider then her cheeks flushed to a color that reflected her rusty hair.

"That's right," he answered, kissing her hand once again. "My wife," he added with a cheeky smile. He knew Allison loved fishing for compliments, and he was going to give her the entire sea.

"Mhm." The woman's eye showed a glimpse of mischief as she asked: "Is your wife beautiful?"

"Of course, she is beautiful," he immediately retorted. To him, Allison was a beauty beyond compare. "I wouldn't marry anyone if it wasn't her," he declared, staring deeply into her eye that reminded him of shimmering emeralds. The couple stared at each other quixotically, a gush of thick amorous tension was forming between them. They were looking at each other as if they were the only people in the world. The atmosphere was glazed with sweet honey, and the audience watching them was getting bitterly stung by bees, figuratively.

"Mush...woom omewet!" a small voice suddenly said, which broke off the couple's eye contact. The two adults looked at their son, whose cheeks were puffing, mouth drooling and eyes sparkling. It was clear that he was excited to eat. They both laughed in amusement.

"Okay, little man. Eat up," Allison told her son, sitting on the chair beside her husband and in front of Friso. She lifted a slice of the omelette from a server and placed the right proportion to his plate, and added a few bits of other food on the platter, most especially the (baby food) that had all the vitamins he needed. She then proceeded by grabbing her utensils, and the boy imitated her, gripping his mini wooden utensils as well.

"Yes, mama," he replied and began digging in.

That marked a peaceful breakfast to begin. Friso was sitting on a highchair, busy eating his mini mushroom omelette while his mother was eating her breakfast while opening small conversations in between, and his father was drinking coffee, listening to his wife's sweet little nothings.

"How do you usually start your mornings, Mr. de Vries?" Haroun asked behind the camera. He wanted Hades to talk about his personal life, he wanted to get a grasp of something that even the magazines and articles couldn't get. Hades de Vries was a private man, except during the time he tried to pursue his wife and a so-called scandal between them broke out.

"My mornings usually start with a morning coffee," Hades said, lifting the mug to his face and taking a generous sip of the caffeinated drink. "Especially a hot one," he added, placing the mug down.

Hearing the man say "hot", Friso looked up at his father and asked innocently while chewing on his food, "Coffee too hot for dada?"

"Quite," the man answered shortly and took another sip. "But don't worry, dada can handle it," he then added. He knew that the boy inherited his mother's worrisome nature, the latter would always ask if they are okay if they mention something that equated to getting hurt in his understanding.

Meanwhile, the crew held themselves from audibly gasping in astonishment. The tyrant they were expecting to meet wasn't there. This was a grizzly bear bearing fuzzy and fatherly vibes! Moreover, they didn't expect that the word "dada" would come out from Hades himself!

"May I blow cold for dada?" Friso offered, leaning closer in the man's direction. To him, his father was in trouble and need of help.

"It's fi—" Hades was about to protest but wasn't able to finish when the child blew loudly on his mug of coffee, shreds of pieces of food were being splattered on his coffee and his hand. "Oh." That was all he could say out of surprise. His caffeine-induced happiness now had bits of omelette and mushroom floating around it.

Everyone else in the room fell silent, except for Allison who was holding in her laughter, her cheeks puffing and face becoming as red as a tomato. She was just across from the two, and she had an outstanding cinematic view in a 400K graphic quality of what just happened earlier. The sight of Friso spluttering out his food from his mouth while blowing the drink may be hilarious, but Hades' shocked, mind-boggling face while he was in the process of registering his son's sudden move was worth a diamond mine!

Meanwhile, the others became worried about what the man's reaction would be. Hades wouldn't scold his son over a ruined mug of coffee... right? With the attitude he had been displaying in front of them, surely he wouldn't act rashly to his family as he was to his employees, not to mention that there were cameras on.

The child looked up at his father, his eyes sparkling with his desire for the man's approval. "Did I do good, Dada?"

The two blokes stared at each other for a few moments, a few seconds more and a staring contest was to be held but it ended abruptly when the man couldn't help but laugh at his son's cuteness and ended up patting the boy's head. Never mind the wasted coffee, he could always have a new one anyway. "You did a great job, buddy."

"I did?" Friso asked, his eyes sparkling with anticipation for another praise.

"Yes... yes... You did. Thank you," the amused father tried to keep himself from wincing when he glanced at his mug. He was a man of honesty and integrity. This trait of his hiked him to a high seat in the business world since he always honored his promises to the people he work with and to himself. He was like a ­pure silk spotless of tainted lies. But for his son, he would willingly lie through gritted teeth. "I'm proud of you," he added. Liar.

"I love you too, dada."

"I love you too, dada," Friso told his dad sweetly. To the boy, hearing that his father was proud of him was equivalent to an "I love you."

Now that Allison and Hades had finally settled down and were now officially family, expressing themselves with words and actions was an important rule, though the latter was still struggling with opening himself since he had been dwelling with a cold exterior and stoic mindset for years longer than the two had been together.

Hades replied with his only response, patting Friso's head while looking at the boy with a gaze so unfamiliar, like a fine piece of rare tanzanite gemstone. A tender-loving gaze. "I love you too, son," he replied with a small smile.

The family's peaceful breakfast continued with another cup of coffee served for him. The hearty morning session didn't last long. As soon as he had his final sip from the mug, Hades stood up, fixed his coat, and offered his hand to his son, who was washing his hands. "Aight. Pack up, buddy," he said.

"Where we going, dada?" Friso couldn't help but ask excitedly, his eyes flashing visible excitement. He didn't expect that he was getting to play a lot more today.

"We're going off for a joyride."

The boy gasped audibly as soon as he heard the words come out of his father's mouth, his excitement no longer contained. "Jowwy ride?!" he repeated his father's words, "Jowwy ride, daddy?!" he asked, hoping for reassurance that what he just heard was true.

"That's right, we're going on a joyride." Hades couldn't help but chuckle, patting his son's head. "That's why you should hurry up and change your clothes."

Immediately, the boy was sent off to his room again to change his clothes. It didn't take a long time for him to get dressed. The recording of the second scene was cut short, and a break was announced so the staff could have time to prepare for the next scenes, which were crucial and needed an awful lot of work. Haroun took the break as an opportunity to brief Hades about what they should do during the said joyride.

Not sooner, Friso came downstairs looking all bright and enthusiastic, garbed in a denim jumper with a yellow cartoon duck printed shirt tucked beneath, his small figure hopped his way on the floor that rendered his little duck-designed knapsack to bounce in the air. He had been too eager about what was about to happen to the point that it was all he could talk about with his mother while he was dressing up. Just in time, the crew came back to the estate after finishing setting up the car that Hades and Friso were going to use for the taping outdoors.

The tape started rolling.

"I'm ready, dada!" he exclaimed, hopping in front of Hades. The dark, brooding shade cast by his father's tall figure couldn't conceal the sunniness surrounding him, and instead, emphasized his dazzling aura. Even though Friso was biologically his son, they were polar. The man recalled having a short conversation with Richard in which the latter mentioned that he used to be as bright as Friso before, but he couldn't recall such a thing.

Unlike his usual look in tabloids and magazines, Hades wasn't dressed in a high-end button-down shirt, slacks, and loafers. He looked pretty much casual and refreshing in his white buttoned short sleeve, dark pedal shorts, and slip-on. By the grey prints ADV on his shirt that were shown when struck by the sun, everyone found it obvious that he was flexing his wife's design. But despite the casual look, he also looked expensive with his metallic gold sunglasses and Patek Philippe watch "That's good. Dada is ready too," he said and offered his large hand, "Let's go?"

The young man looked at him for a brief moment, then smiled widely that his pearly-white teeth showed, and gladly held his extensive appendage. "Yes, dada!" he exclaimed and they began walking down the garden, heading to the estate's parking lot.

"A rain wily!" Friso suddenly said, pointing at the flowers resting on the path nearest to them. They were a lovely bunch with their stigmatic lobes, and tuft of grass-like leaves. The most eye-catching about them were the petals arranged in a scapose inflorescence, some having pink petals, while others had white. The yellow anther and white stigma that were spread apart added quite the accent to their beauty. Nevertheless, they were absolutely beautiful.

"I'm sorry?" Haroun, who was, along with the crew, observing them while taping.

"Zephyranthes rosea is the pf... pink ones... a... and the white whites are Zephyranthes candida. Rain wi... wilies!" the child repeated what he said earlier, but this time, with a little extra information.

"Oh, he meant the flowers are rain lilies," Allison suddenly came behind them, she was holding a fat, heavy, and overfilled satchel that looked like it was about to explode at any moment. "Friso liked the flowers I had manicured for the garden so we taught him the names of those plants. He got to learn their scientific names from Richard, who was a graduate in biology and masters in botany."

"Oh wow, that's impressive!" praised behind them which caused all the attention to go to her. She immediately covered her mouth, knowing what she had done was wrong.

Encouraged by the compliment, Friso ran to a bush of hydrangeas, kneeling in front of them. "Bigleaf hydrangeas, Hydrangea macrophylla!"

The director's eyes lit brightly like a lightbulb when an idea crossed his mind. "What about that flower, champ?" he asked, pointing at the flower bush beside it.

"Camellias, Camellia japonica!" the boy instantly answered. It was clear that he knew all the flowers in the garden at the back of his hand.

The simple walk to the parking lot ended up becoming a floral introduction. "Rosa Carolina!"

"Lobelia cardinalis!"

"Cercis canadensis!"

Friso named most of the plants and their scientific names in the garden, and everybody praised him, amazed how such a young child could memorize the names of the plants in this vast garden. Each praise made him happier and boosted his ego. He was getting prouder and prouder at every flower he passed by and named.

"What about this flower?" Hades took his chance to ask his son, pointing at the flower with luminous blue-green appearance and claw-shaped petals. Richard took care of that flower painstakingly as soon as it arrived from the Philippines, so he thought that Friso would know it so well.

"That is..." the boy tried to name the plant, but his mind went blank. He couldn't name the flower. He knew its name, but he couldn't recall it. "A..." he began to sweat, and his voice began to shake. Deep in his mind he badly wanted to recall that flower's name. How could he ever forget that flower's name? How he badly wanted to shake his head to force himself to remember. But the human brain was flawed, it could always forget. It was the time to show off to his father, but now, he thought he failed.

"Dada..." he looked up to his father who was walking behind him, shivering and biting his lower lip. "Uwaaah..." he couldn't help but let the waterworks flow and began to cry.

Everyone was about to go over to the crying boy and comfort him but Hades acted quickly and took his son in his arms, giving him the best comfort that he could. "It's okay, son. It's okay." He calmly waited for the boy to calm down, letting him cry with all his heart while patting his back softly. "I'm still proud of you," he said in the middle of the latter's cries.

"Wea... weally?" he struggled to mumble the words out of his mouth. His nose was covered in snot, and his face was red, especially his eyes. He wanted to make his father proud of him, but he failed this time. To hear that his father was still proud of him was reassuring to hear that he would never lose the man's favor.

"Of course. I love you remember?" the father said, and kissed his forehead fervently. Friso liked that. "I will always be proud of you." Friso finally stopped crying, much to everyone's relief.

"Now let's go," Hades said and they continued what they were supposed to do, head towards the parking lot. "Here we are," he announced when they arrived.

"Cut!" the director announced, everyone hastily prepared the finishing touches for the next scene.

Allison didn't let a single second pass and handed Hades the bag she had been holding for too long. "Here," she stated. When the man accepted the bag, she began speaking fast like she was rapping: "You need to make sure he gets his biscuits and chocolate milk when it's 10. I already had it packed by Richard in the bag. Also, check his back from time to time and see if it's sweating, rub it off with the cotton handkerchief immediately. I had placed in the bag as well, and you..." being the dutiful mother and wife she was, strictly reminded her husband what he needed to do when taking care of Friso by himself. Allison knew that he already knew these things since he had been alone with the child for some moments, but still, she wanted to refresh his memory.

The team quietly just watched the woman pecking her husband, awestruck from the scene before them. Today marked the day they had seen the unthinkable. Looks like the boss had his own boss. They silently noted to themselves to never fuck with Allison de Vries in any possible way as well.

"Now have fun," she said after finally finishing after giving the shortest run down she could do, patting on some parts of his clothes that got wrinkled from the scene earlier. A small smile spread across her face when her finger came across the slightly wet part of his shirt, it must be from Friso's tears earlier. Good thing she made that prototype with the latest fabric that was currently tested if it couldn't get wet.

"I love you," he said to her while she flattened the creases on his shirt, his eye staring at her intently like

"I love you too," she replied, stretching her neck to look up at him with a smile on her face before tapping his chest. "There looks like you're good to go." Hades grinned and was about to ask her for a goodbye kiss but she suddenly raised a hand and motioned and waved it like she was shooing him away. "Now scram," she added, turning on her heels to walk over to Friso.

Behind him, Jamaal couldn't help but ask him: "Tough love, sir?"

A disappointed Hades could only shrug, shaking his head arbitrarily. "Tough love, man. Tough love."

"Mama isn't coming?" Friso, who was sitting on the baby seat situated on the shotgun seat, asked when Hades sat on the driver's seat, his slightly puffy eyes, now covered in small touches of concealer so he wouldn't look exhausted in the entire episode, were staring at the latter with full wonder. He thought that his mother was in this game as well.

They had already begun taping for the next scene with the use of the camera and microphone arranged by the crew since they would be recording the conversations and moments that the father and son would do while spending time together alone. It was a bit of a relief for Jamaal and his assistants, they only had lesser time to carry the camera, and they didn't have to walk around with the heavy device.

"Yup," his father answered while fixing his seatbelt, "You don't want to go on a joyride with dada, son?" Hades then asked, feigning a sad, disappointed face. He knew the kid was just curious why his mother was not going with them. They had been together alone several times but today would be their first time going on a joyride with no one else but just the two of them. He didn't want to admit it, but deep inside him, he was happy that he was getting to have a father and son bonding with the kid the entire day.

"I do!" the boy immediately answered, realizing that he was getting to spend a lot of time with his father today. "Let's jowwy ride, dada!" Friso began hopping on his seat, obviously excited.

"That's the spirit." Hades chuckled as he turned on the engine, rolling the window down over Friso's direction to reveal Allison, who was looking at him with a tender gaze.

"Have fun today, baby," the woman said to her son, leaning down to give him a big kiss. "And you," she stated, looking at her husband who was jealously staring at them, wanting to be kissed too. "I'll be watching you," she said, pointing her index and middle finger to her eyes before pointing them to him.

"Yes, love. I will," he chuckled, his nonsense jealousy replaced with amusement. It was obvious that she was anxious, but he had no plans of letting her down. Never.

The father and son bid their goodbyes to the people in the estate before Hades revved the car outside the estate with the production team's van following behind them. Seeing that they were finally leaving, Friso pressed a button to roll down the window again and waved his hand out in the open for another goodbye.

"Hey, Friso—" the watchful father immediately felt his heart falling out of his chest and his head going in circles upon the boy's actions. He loosened his step on the acceleration pedal and reached an arm towards the child. He was being stupid for not turning the child lock on.

"Bye mama, bye everybodyyy—" the boy's bid goodbye was cut short when a strong force suddenly pushed his hand down from the window frame and the window rolled back up, with the buttons near him being locked.

"You almost killed me, young man," the frantic father exclaimed with one hand on his chest. He thought he was going to die. He forgot that Friso was already nearly four, so, he could things of his own volition now, unlike when he was still an infant. The toddler was walking and talking baby in Hades' view. "That was dangerous. Please don't do it again," he added as he now puts his other hand on the wheel. If something happened to the boy back there, he would never forgive himself.

"I'm sorry, dada," Friso immediately apologized, realizing that what he had done was wrong.

"It's okay, champ. Just don't do it again, okay? You'll get hurt if you do," Hades said and he nodded obediently, and the ride proceeded on with dead silence.

The atmosphere was serenely silent, though there wasn't any form of awkwardness invading such. But to Haroun and the rest of the production team, it was freakishly awkward that they decided to urge Hades to speak and improvise ways to keep themselves entertained while driving, but Friso beat them to it.

"Can I turn on the radio, dada?"

"Of course, son." The man enjoyed silence when traveling, but for his son, he didn't mind. The kid could play tune up the volume to the maximum, and it'd still be fine with him. "Okay..." the boy trailed off and tried to reach for the stereo, but he was struggling due to his small stature. He tried to reach his short, pudgy arms but he still couldn't.

"I got it," his father said, and with one press on the stereo, a familiar kiddie melody made out of the strings of a harp and piano. It sounded like a sweet, hazy dream of laying down on a soft, cotton candy-like cloud traveling in the dawn of the night with the stars singing a magical hymn. It felt like a haze developed into notes and tones accompanied by charming lyrics. It was a song no stranger to parents, a nursery song developed by ForKids Entertainment.

"Why play that song, Mr. de Vries?" Haroun's question resonated in Hades' earplug, intending to make the man speak.

"It's his favorite song," the latter answered. Just as the child began to sing along to the melody, Hades began recontouring his tale about how Friso was the reason that he invested in companies like ForKids Entertainment. He invested in the entertainment that created the song since their quality work kept his son and other people's children happy. He mentioned several things that Friso liked the most, like the creator of the duck print on his shirt, the company that produced his favorite formula, and the likes, and how it led him to invest in them.

All was going good and well when Friso suddenly asked his father to halt. "Dada stop."

"Why son?" Hades could do nothing and only as, but continued driving since they were in the middle of the road, they might end up bothering other drivers, especially those who were in a hurry.

"Just stop, dada," the child answered him, repeating himself. He was no longer singing along with his favorite song, his eyes were firmly glued straight to the road.

"What's wrong? Can you tell dad?" he asked, aching to know why his boy wanted him to stop, and at an open road off all places.

"Granny wants to cross," he answered, pointing at the straight at the lane.

At the pedestrian lane in front of them, an old lady was holding a cane, slowly walking in menial steps to reach the other side. She looked like she was having a hard time crossing since she was limping on her left leg. A fair share of cars were taking advantage of her slow pace and sped in the direction where she wasn't present. As they passed by at a fastidious speed, the violent gust of wind caused by the accelerating cars made it hard for her to walk further. The kid had sharp eyes.

They were still a bit far away from the lane, not to mention that Hades was driving at a turtle's pace since Friso loved riding a car being driven slowly. So, surely the granny would have crossed to the other side of the street before they could get there.

"You want to help the old lady cross the street, am I right?" Hades asked, now realizing what his son wanted to do.

The child nodded, confirming the man's speculation. "Yes," he said, and little did he know, he made his father prouder of him. It made the latter happy to know that he, his wife, and the entire estate got to raise the boy well. After all, it takes a village to raise a child.

Hades glanced at his son for a brief moment, then went back to looking at the street before saying, "Okay." He revved the vehicle, accelerating his speed to get to the old lady faster, then drove to a nearby curb and parked it.

They then went off to the supposed pedestrian lane, holding hand in hand. The woman was already halfway to her destination, and more cars had already gone past her. Now, it was getting more difficult for her to step forward. Seeing that, Hades picked up Friso in his arms and jogged toward her.

The summer sun, exposed high in the sky flexed its hot and prickly rays all high and mighty, the heat was immensely copious, and the air blew a warm breeze. It was already uncomfortable for Hades being doused in extreme daylight like this even though it was still morning, what more would it have felt for a senior citizen with no umbrella or cap on? The poor granny must be feeling distressed right now!

"What are you guys doing?" Haroun asked him. The production van parked by the diner just by the crosswalk the father and son were getting into, having a good distance enough to shoot them perfectly, let alone get a good angle for a zoom.

"Helping," Hades replied, setting Friso down, holding his hand as they began to walk behind the old woman in quick steps, trying to catch up behind her.

"Granny, granny!" the boy called out to the elder, who took a long moment to turn her head and look at them, which gave Hades the cue to walk to her faster and Friso to run with his little feet to keep up with the former.

"Let's help you cross, missus," the man offered his hand to her, and that was when he got a clear look on her face. She appeared older than how he thought her to be. Her wrinkles had spread all over her face, and her body appeared to be emaciated. His blood boiled at the reckless drivers who went past her. How could they not help this old lady?

She looked at the offered hand for a brief second, shifted her gaze to the young man who looked at her with a concerned gaze, then looked up to get a good view of the kind gentleman who was offering his hand. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She was having a hard time crossing roads due to her poor eyesight and injured leg due to a recent accident. A lending hand wouldn't hurt, but this was her first time being offered one.

There they were making quite a scene, standing in the middle of the road, stalling cars and irritating drivers. Jamaal zoomed on Hades' hand.

She took out a cold, shivering hand, and held it tightly. It was clear she was terrified by all these cars coming and going past her. This young man's hand was soft and warm, it was like finally finding a hearth to loom for comfort after a long time exposed to a cruel, cold winter. "If it isn't bothersome, then please," she said, and together, the three walked hand in hand, crossing the lane effortlessly and with ease. It didn't take them long to finally arrive on the other side.

"Thank you. What a fine young man you are, my dear," said the old lady to Friso as soon as they settled down.

"You're welcome, granny," the child politely replied to her.

"Your father raised you well," the old woman complimented, looking over at the child's father. "Thank you as well."

"It's no problem, grandma," although he wasn't the type to smile so much unless he'd see his wife's face, Hades, forced his face to stretch out a friendly smile, which was well-received by the sweet, old lady.

"I should get going..." she said, letting go of the gentleman's hand and proceeding by walking away. "Be careful on your way," she turned her back on them, waving her thin hand with a wide smile on her face.

"You did a great job, buddy," Hades said to Friso when the old woman had finally gone.

"You did a great job too, daddy," the latter retorted, looking up at him with his large, doe-like eyes.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the nearby ice cream shop, which was their first stop for the scene. One of the things that Friso loved the most was ice cream. There was no trip without one, or the kid would throw tantrums. So it was practiced that every time they went out, they should always stop by an ice cream parlor before anything. When asked if he could trade the different things he liked with ice cream, the child would always turn his favor for the dessert. Haroun wanted to catch that kind of moment, he wanted to catch a moment on how Friso was like in front of ice cream.

The usual ice cream parlor they to was a nice, yet a crowded place that gave off the vibes of a diner. There were much more expensive and luxurious places that could offer the most exorbitant ice cream, but they both preferred this shop since the ice cream was better. It was always the old ice cream parlors that offered the most delicious dessert.

"Cookies-and-cream?" Hades asked, looking down at Friso who was leaning his face down at the shelves displaying an endless array of scrumptious ice cream of different flavors, and add-ons offered. For the child, it was already synonymous with heaven.

"Yes, dada!" the child didn't hesitate to answer. It was his favorite flavor. He would never say no to such when offered. Behind them, one of the cameramen zoomed at Friso's smiling face, his chubby cheeks were all rosy and flushing.

"All right," his father chuckled at his cute reaction before ordering a large cone of the said flavor with several toppings.

Due to the countless number of orders, they had to wait for theirs to be prepared. As they waited for their ice cream to be served, Friso took his time waiting by playing in the parlor's playground with the other children. It was fine for both since Hades wanted the kid to associate himself with children around his age since he had been in the mansion most of the time, while Friso wanted to play with the other children. Meanwhile, Hades sat on a nearby chair so he could keep a close eye on him.

The man sat quietly on the sofa chair, his stature elegant and sharp, his back resting on the seat, and his legs crossed. He kept a straight, stoic face as he watched his son play with strangers' children, stomaching the uncomfortable stares from several people. It was difficult not to be stared at and scrutinized by the public when he was being pointed at with a large camera.

On the other hand, Friso was enjoying himself sliding down the slides and running back to it for another round, while playing tag and hide and seek with his new friends that he will never meet again. He thought he was going to wait for a bit while for his ice cream, but now he wanted the dessert to be prepared longer.

"Here you go," a cookies-and-cream ice cream topped with cookie crumbs, sprinkles, and butterscotch placed on a large cone was suddenly offered to him. His eyes immediately brightened.

"Thank you, dada!" Friso enthusiastically removed himself from the slide and offered his hand to accept the ice cream, but his father let go of the cone too early and ended up soiling the ice cream on the kid's shirt.

"Oh no," he gasped.

"Oh," it took Hades a few seconds to register what happened. His son's face began to crumple and grow red, eyes squinted as tears started to form in the corner of his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he began to apologize profusely. "Please don't cry. I'll go and get you another ice cream."

"Don't cry," he said repeatedly as the boy's face began getting redder and redder, he began to breathe briskly like he was hyperventilating. "Don't cry. I'm sorry, it's dada's fault. Be strong."

"But you said strong people can cry, dada," Friso said, wiping a tear.

"Yes, they do too," said Hades. He completely forgot that he said those words when Friso asked if he was disappointed that he cried. "Come, we should get you some new clothes, then a new ice cream," he said, holding the boy's hand as he decided to take him to the nearest children's clothing boutique. Camilla ordered another ice cream of the same flavor and add-ons as the crew followed behind the father and son.

"Welcome, sir!" the staff was quick to respond to the door opening and welcomed them, staggering on her feet. She looked at her newly arrived customers with a wide smile on her face. She could notice behind them were a few men holding large cameras and several other people, and she immediately knew they were recording for a movie or television episode. She had to keep her best attitude to provide her store with free promotions.

"Please show me your clothes for three-year-olds," Hades immediately asked.

"Yes, sir. This way please," she stretched out her hand to the said section and guided them inside.

While his father was busy picking out new clothes for him, Friso decided to wander around the shop for a bit, scrutinizing every nook and cranny his eyes could land onto. He went on the spot near the window wall, and boy oh boy. There he saw a boy standing on the platform by the window, skin porcelain-pale and smooth. He stood on his spot unmoving, blankly staring at the view outside with his hand on his sides.

"Hewwo..." Friso spoke to the stiff boy but he was given silence for an answer. The latter didn't even spare a glance at him!

"Why you dwessed like that?" Still, no answer.

"Summew's close to bye-bye!" he said, forgetting about the word for "end." Nevertheless, the porcelain boy was still not answering.

"Friso, where are you? I found some new clothes y..." Hades came to Friso whose face was wet with tears, standing beside a mannequin. "Dada, why isn't he moving?" the child asked, his voice croaking, "Why isn't he answewing?"

"He's a mannequin, Friso," the man tried to soothe him, patting the boy's back.

"A man... quin?"

"That's right, a mannequin," he bit his lower lip, trying to think of a way to explain the object. He had his fare share of experiences like this, it was a lot more challenging than brainstorming for new products. "He's plastic so that's why he can't talk to you."

"He'll be stuck like that forever, dada?"

"Yes."

"That's sad," Friso pouted. "He'll get hurt if he keeps standing and not talking."

"He won't. We'll ask the miss to make him sit down," his father said, and immediately, his face lit up. "Now, come on, let's get you your new clothes," Hades then urged, and he obediently followed to the dressing room to change his clothes.

"Now I want to go and see Vannie," Friso mumbled while wearing the clothes he and his father thought to suit him best, licking a cone of cookies-and-cream ice cream with the add-ons and toppings he liked. It was given to him by Camilla off cam.

"Who's Vannie?" Haroun asked from the other line as they walked to the cashier to pay for the clothes.

"He's talking about Vanessa, the child of our neighbor next door. He's quite fond of her," Hades answered while handing over his card to the cashier, and with one swipe, they were now good to go and go back on track.

Hades didn't let any second go to waste any further after that. As soon as the new set of clothes was paid, and the old ones were packaged, the father and son headed to the place where Friso had been aching to go: the playhouse. They then had their first archery lessons, and short kiddie clay-making classes, and accomplished some challenges given by the crew per the script.

"You look tired, should we take a rest?" Hades asked as they sat on a bench to take a rest. He took Friso's bag and fished out the towel Allison told him about and a baby powder, attempting to wipe the kid's damp back and sprinkling the powder on it to keep it dry.

"No." The child shook his head as he raised the part of his shirt that covered his back. He considered today his as the best day ever. He got to have a lot of fun all morning long. "Fri can sti..." he wasn't able to continue what he was about to say when his tummy erupted a loud growl.

"Oh," they gasped in unison as Haroun shouted, "Cut!"

They went to Popeye's for lunch with the crew, of course, and then proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon playing on the mini-challenges made by the production. They got to go to a swimming pool, battled with water guns and balloons, climbed a climbing wall, and had themselves locked in a trapped escape room.

"Dada," Friso called for his father. They were now sitting at a bench located at Riverside Park, eating scones paired with coffee for Hades and cocoa for Friso while watching ducks waddle on the waters. The sun was setting, giving off a beautiful hue of orange in the sky, and the cool autumn wind began to blow over direction. It was unprecedentedly relaxing.

"Yes?"

"Rock, paper, scissors," he was holding out a hand balled into a small fist resting on top of the other's palm, looking at his father like he was asking to play a game.

Hades was quick to realize what the boy was asking and did the same hand gesture. "You want to play? Let's play?" he said and they began to chant: "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" he made a rock, while the child made a paper. The latter won.

"Friso win!" he cheered happily, then made a heart with his hands, shooting it like he was acting he shot a love bazooka. In retrospect, Hades staggered and acted like he was hit. "Ah!" he gasped loudly to add a dramatic effect. They made another round again, and it ended with Hades making a scissor and Friso making a paper.

"Ah, dada won," Friso mumbled and closed his eyes, ready to be flicked on the forehead but to his surprise, he didn't feel his forehead being hit instead, something soft and warm landed on his lips in such a gentle touch. The boy opened his eyes and right there and then, he realized his father kissed him on the forehead.

"I love you, son," Hades told him tenderly when he pulled away, his grey eyes which were usually stoic and cold looked at the child with indescribable warmth like he was a treasure unfolding.

"I love you too, dada," Friso responded with a wide smile on his face.

"Cut!"

"We ended our shooting in just a day! We only have the confessional and hosting scenes left for the martini shot!" Haroun declared and everyone cheered.

"Can we do the confessional a bit later from now? I think we should have a bit of a rest first. It's been a long day after all," just as the man said that Friso yawned in exhaustion. He had been playing all day, his energy bar had already dropped past the lowest bar.

"Oh yes, yes. Of course, Mr. de Vries," Haroun nodded profusely. Even though they were tired from the shooting, it was worth it.

"Let's head back to the estate, everyone. Dinner's on me," he then announced which made everyone cheer. "And I heard from Allison that she has a gift for the entire crew as her token of appreciation for everyone's hard work," the cheer had become louder. He smiled at the back of his, knowing what his wife had planned to give to them as a token of thanks.

As everyone began to pack up for and prepare to go back to the de Vries' residence, Hades took his son in his arms and began to walk to his car. "Dada," Friso called for his father who trudged slowly. He was now feeling drowsy and then his eyelids were too heavy to keep them up.

"Yes, son?" his father asked, opening the car's door with one hand effortlessly.

"I love you," he mumbled, sleepiness seeping into his system. A smile broke out on Hades' lips.

"I love you too."

-

_

Author's Note: Thank you for reading Love's Deception! You can also see a bit more about Allison and Hades in their son's (Friso) story: Bubble Gum Kisses

Prologue

Vanessa

Fuming millennia of profanities while marching down the halls with my face red and the holes of my ears and nose puffing thick smoke infinitely, I roamed my sight around every corner of the area furiously with my red, bloodshot eyes, finding the girls' locker room. Being the school's playboy he is, I knew he would be there, probably busy doing an ugly and disgusting gang bang with the school's cheerleaders. Just because his parents are the ones who contributed a lot of funds in the school doesn't mean that he could make himself the king of the campus, every student in this school his fucking slave and the girls' locker room his brothel.

Finding the door that had the huge sign LOCKER ROOM, I knocked-- oh wait, no, I banged my knuckles on the door furiously, not caring of the possible repercussions that are going to happen.

Seconds later, my jaw dropped hard on the floor, not because of how the door softly opened, revealing the leader of the cheerleading squad, Stacy but because of her current state. She is right in front of me, freaking half-naked! God, I cannot believe my eyes, her large boobs and pink, erected nipples flaunting out right in front of me!

"Oh it's you," she smiled sweetly at me that stunned me. What.the.fuck. since when did I ever see Stacy smile genuinely?! Like, NEVER. She opened the door wider for me, "Come in. We've been expecting you." Say what? Who in the world is we?

Taking the opportunity, I stood straight on my boots and made my way inside the girl's locker room, only to see a complete nightmare before me. I almost made the sign of the cross. Good Lord, Jesus Christ, everyone inside the girls' locker room was half of the school's female population, and they were all naked! As in completely naked! A lot worse than going in commando!

I looked around, gasping in horror until my eyes laid to him. There he is in all his fucking goddamn glory, Friso Drew de Vries. Sitting like a king comfortably on a spot, still completely clothed, chewing and blowing up another one of his pink-colored bubblegum. Oh, and have I mentioned his tattooed face is painted with loads of lipstick kisses of various shades? I guess not. What a fucking manwhore.

Glaring daggers at him heatedly, I strolled towards him, completely ignoring my naked female schoolmates and the two cheerleaders who were sitting on his lap who fitted perfectly due to his huge size, kissing his neck up and down simultaneously. He looked at me with a goofy smile on his lips, as if he was anticipating my intrusion. What a fucker.

"Hello, baby girl. Wanna join?" he asked me and reached his hand out to my right cheek, caressing it softly like a piece of fragile thing. He blew and popped his bubblegum right at my face. What a jerk.

I scoffed and slapped his hand away, "I did not come here to have a gang bang with you and your girls," I huffed at him, my anger resurging back when I remembered why I've come here, "I came here because I got an F on three of my subjects."

The room fell silent for a moment, and it soon erupted with a huge tsunami of ear-splitting laughter, a big thanks to Friso's sluts-- pesky cheerleaders, I mean.

"And?" he asked, his lips curling as if he was stopping himself from laughing, "How does your grade concern me?" he asked as if he was a victim of faux allegation. He has improved his acting skills now, huh? Wow.

"I know you have something to do with this!" I accused, stomping my foot in anger and my eyes burning holes at him.

"Oh, right," he gave off a knowing smirk, as if he now knows what I was talking about, "I did bribe three instructors to lower your A's into F's," he said cooly as if it was all nothing.

Hearing the confirmation come out from his lips, my blood instantly boiled and made a marathon to my face. How dare he do that?!

I seethed, "Well, what the actual fu--"

"I can even do it in the last quarter if I want to," he cuts me off, placing a hand on his chin while blowing up his stupid, pink-colored bubble gum. Fucking di-

I shut my eyes tightly, counting from one to ten to calm myself down, like what mom had taught me since I was young. Remember, Vanessa, just keep yourself calm and collected at all times, "What the fuck do you want, Friso?" I asked, saying each word slowly.

"My condition is very easy to comply, love," he told me, his pair of steel grey eyes boring to mine as if saying I already know what he wanted, though I do not.

"What?" I asked. It didn't take him a while to answer my question.

"Come back to me."

Art by: Shaun Pao

To keep up with my work, future works, and endless frustrations, you can find me on my social media accounts: