{CHAPTER FIFTEEN}

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The lively buzz of vendors chatting, the roar of passing cars, and the whistle of trains filled Jackson's room, abruptly rousing him from sleep. A deep yawn escaped his lips, accompanied by a leisurely stretch, highlighting his exhaustion from the previous day's event.

"Oh my goodness, how long did I fall asleep?" he rubbed his eyes vigorously, as if coaxing them awake, his gaze sweeping the room in search of any sign of Hanna.

He shuffled wearily into the room, his steps heavy with concern for Hanna, mindlessly scratching his back. Despite his intentions to stay awake and watch over her after yesterday's events, he found himself unexpectedly dozing off.

The old soccer match, which he had already seen, was meant to keep him alert, but sleep had a sneaky way of creeping in unnoticed.

"Hanna," he murmured, his voice soft as he cautiously nudged the door open. "Hanna!" he called out, his voice carrying a sense of urgency upon noticing the neatly arranged bed, indicating her absence.

Making his way to the bed, his eyes caught a glimpse of a paper neatly tucked under the pillow. With a sense of intrigue, he picked it up, realizing it was a letter from Hanna.

Seating himself on the bed, he gently unfolded the paper and began to read. "Hey, Jackson," the letter began, "I'm sorry that I ruined our beautiful moment yesterday. I know you probably have questions about what happened, but I'm fine now, so no need for you to bother. As much as I wanted to stay with you longer, I had to leave. I didn't want to keep my mom worried. Thank you, love from Hanna." Jackson couldn't contain the smile that slowly spread across his face, radiating warmth even to the unseen.

Noticing himself involuntarily grinning at the letter, he shook his head in a mix of surprise and self-reproach. "Man, why am I even smiling? And why was I getting all worked up over her?" With a decisive flick, he cast the letter aside and made his way over to the worn-out window, the room's only source of light.

He positioned himself by the window, gazing at the hustle of pedestrians. In a corner, two vendors vied for a customer's attention. One claimed, "Hey, I found him first, he's mine," while the other retorted, "But he came to me first." The situation swiftly escalated into chaos, with the two vendors engaging in a heated argument. The onlookers grew curious, drawn to the unfolding drama like moths to a flame. The street corner transformed into a stage for the clash of egos, each vendor adamant about securing the customer's patronage.

Watching the whole scene play out, he couldn't help but let out a giggle as he stood in awe. Suddenly, his mind wandered back to Hanna. 'Why did I feel so at peace with her yesterday? It felt amazing being with her,' he thought.

"Aish! Come on, Jackson, snap out of it, focus!" he exclaimed, giving his head a playful tap.

He casually strolled back to where he chucked the letter, snatched it up, and found himself reading it all over again with a cheeky grin on his face. Swiftly stuffing the letter in his pocket, then glanced at the mirror in front of him. His reflection stared back, and a serious expression replaced his grin. "You've got a mission to complete, and don't forget, she's the daughter of your parents' nemesis. Falling for her is a big no-no!"

Jackson swiftly exited the room, tossing on his rain-soaked jacket from the downpour, making it clear he had an urgent destination in mind. His determined expression hinted at the importance of his mission.

I couldn't shake the feeling; my mind was fixated on talking to Lisa about the young boy. But I decided to swing by home first before heading over to her place. I knew my mom would be worried since I never stay out late. As I turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open, there she was, seated on my couch, tears glistening in Lisa's eyes. Without hesitation, I rushed to her side, my heart pounding with worry.

"Lisa, what going on? Why are you here instead of at work? And what's with the tears?" I asked without missing a beat, clearly concerned as I settled down beside her.

In her tears, she let out a snort, her trembling lips turning to face me. Her eyes were so red, clearly showing she had been crying for a long time. "Hanna..." she choked out, burying her face in my chest. She continued, her voice breaking, "That jerk, he cheated on me."

"What jerk? And who cheated on you?" I asked, my voice filled with confusion, gently patting her head as she rested it on my chest.

She hesitated for a moment, tears welling up, her voice wavering as she finally managed to speak, "I-I went over to..."

Noticing her struggle to speak, I quickly hushed her, realizing the depth of her pain. "Shhh, Lisa, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it," I comforted her, lifting her head gently from my chest. "I'm here for you, alright?" She gazed at me, nodding in response, tears flowing steadily for about 3 minutes.

As she began to calm down, I wiped away her tears and softly asked, "Do you feel like talking about it now?"

"That jerk, Henry, he cheated on me!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with anger as she held my hand tightly. "I mean, can you believe it? I decided to stop by the house this morning before work, and there he was, that jerk, naked with another woman!" She tried to continue but faltered, concluding with a disappointed scoff.

"What! Henry did what?" I gasped, twisting my head dramatically, eyes wide with confusion, as the shocking revelation sank in.

"You can't even believe it, right?! That scumbag..." she exclaimed with flair, her tone dripping with disbelief. "Imagine this, he saw me right there, like he literally saw me, didn't even bat an eye or halt his little performance until I marched over and shoved him off."

She sprang up from the couch, pacing with dynamic gestures, ensuring every detail of the tale was vividly painted. "That jerk looked me dead in the eyes with a smirk on his face. Can you believe it, Hanna? He confessed that his 'love' was just a ploy for a quick fling because he was bored." She mimicked air quotes, rolled her eyes, and continued, "His girlfriend, the one he was with, had left town, so he needed a stand-in to kill time, and I was an easy target." After her passionate retelling, she exhaled heavily, as if releasing a weight she had carried within.

I was truly disheartened by Henry's actions, yet I wasn't entirely taken aback. I had a sense that his affections for her were insincere, but I had hoped for a more discreet approach, not to cause harm to Lisa, especially not so swiftly. It was quite the unexpected turn of event! I could sense he was not the right fit for her from the moment I witnessed their interaction. However, divulging his true nature to Lisa in that moment would have only caused distress. She might have questioned why I didn't forewarn her, even though she likely wouldn't have heeded the warning. I had to keep my thoughts to myself and feign sympathy towards her.

"Lisa, I'm so sorry."

"There is no need for you to apologize. The sole individual who should be expressing remorse at this moment is that deceitful individual. I had believed his feelings for me were genuine," she uttered, her voice breaking as tears welled up once more. She hurried back to me, dropping to her knees in my direction.

"It was too soon, just a week of dating, and he cheated on me? Who in the world could treat a person in such a way? The nerve of that lunatic, assuring me he always had my back. We were even planning a date this week," she exclaimed, her lips clenched in anger.

"Screw Henry, right? Let's focus on the bigger picture. A win is a win, isn't it? Take some comfort in that. Now, you can concentrate on finding that wealthy gentleman you wanted," I remarked, trying to offer her some encouragement and support.

She flashed a nod of agreement, a smile spreading across her face.

After the commotion settled, the moment arrived to inquire with Lisa about the young boy that keeps popping into my memory like a sudden flash.

Despite her recent heartbreak over Henry, I debated whether to broach the subject but realized it was a now-or-never situation.

"Lisa, there's something on my mind that I'd like to discuss," I expressed.

Lisa's melancholic gaze hinted at her partial disconnection from our conversation.

"I was considering dropping by your place, but I figured I'd swing by home first before heading over," I remarked, subtly prompting her to engage in the discussion.

"Lisa, I keep replaying a memory..." Just as I was about to elaborate, my mom interrupted, sporting an apron.

"Hanna, sweetheart, when did you get here?" Mom inquired, clearly worried that I hadn't spent the night at home.

I sprang up from the couch, pausing the chat with Lisa, and made a beeline for my mom, enveloping her in a warm hug. "I'm truly sorry, mom. Something unexpected cropped up, and time slipped my mind completely."

Mom saw through my deception; she could tell I was not being truthful. With a sly grin, she quipped, "Forgot about the time? Or perhaps you were with your lover?"

"Ugh, Lisa!" I shot her a look as soon as those words left Mom's lips. I knew Mom had already pieced together the situation with Jackson, and the only person who could have spilled the beans to her was Lisa.

"What? Why are you staring at Lisa? Wasn't what I said true? Why didn't you tell your mom about your boyfriend yourself? I only found out through Lisa," Mom questioned, her tone a mix of curiosity and slight reproach.

"Mom, seriously, not the right moment. We're just starting to get to know each other," I mentioned, shaking my head as I walked back to the couch, shooting Lisa an irritated look.

"If you insist, sweetie," Mom acquiesced, conceding to my request.

"Lisa, are you feeling better now? You seemed a bit off when you arrived. Everything okay now? Mom inquired, her tone shifting to one of concern for Lisa."

"Oh, that? I'm alright now. Hanna and I had a chat," Lisa responded promptly, offering a forced smile, her well-arranged teeth glistening.

"Very well, it's good to hear you're feeling better. I've just finished preparing something in the kitchen. Shall we dine?" Mom proposed.

"I'll help you set the table, Mom," I offered.

"It's okay, sweetheart, the nanny is going to assist me with that," Mom replied reassuringly.

In that instant, Lisa jumped in almost immediately, "Ugh, aunt, as much as I hate to say it, I really can't join you for breakfast today. I've got work to rush back to." She glanced at me knowingly, alluding to our conversation about her visit to Henry's place before work. "Maybe another time."

"That's a shame. But work calls, so it's okay. I'll whip up your favorite dish next time you're over," Mom reassured Lisa.

Their bond was so tight; Lisa often called Mom 'aunt,' which explained why she spilled the beans about my relationship with Jackson to her.

"Yeah, aunt," she pouted cutely before embracing Mom and then me, leaning in to quietly say, "You don't have to walk me out. Spare me the lecture about spilling the beans to aunt about you and Jackson. Just stay and assist her with the table."

"Oh boy, Lisa was a total handful."I chuckled at her statement as she departed.

Following a brief period of assisting mom and the nanny in arranging the table, I recalled my dialogue with Lisa before Mom's untimely interruption. I felt a sense of frustration at my own forgetfulness for neglecting to inquire once more this time.

"Not again," I quietly murmured, pausing with plates in my hands.