I'm second-guessing my decision to let Mara be in this idiot's presence for this long. Time would only tell how long he can keep my secrets to himself. Things I've told him back in our university days, when I thought he was such a trust worthy friend. I don't feel like he's still that with the number of times he has tried to rat me out to my shortcake.

As crazy as it might sound, I want Mara to know those secrets from me. Straight from me and not from someone else, specially not from the likes of Eros. He lets everything slip out, even his unexplained hatred of Alec. I can see the gears in Mara's head turning, analyzing the words that were said in front of her. I hope my words were enough to reassure her that whatever happened between Eros and Alec was explainable.

Although, now that I think more about it. Having Eros so sour about Aurora and Alec's relationship is understandable. He lost the love of his life because he was simply stupid, just like Al. The difference is that Al was able to track down his woman while he's still looking without any luck on his side. Thinking back, I think he was simply jealous of Al's skill in looking and stalking someone. After all, their mansion back in Greece isn't a place someone could easily locate.

He stayed quietly and like an example host for the rest of his tour. Although, he's talking about business, he's still extremely happy to be doing this. Touring his guests is an excuse for him to tour the grounds. Eros finished the tour in his usual bubbly self whenever he's in his plantation.

Soon afterwards, Mara and I bid him goodbye and thanked him for his accommodation. Well, Mara did. I wasn't thankful at all and called him an asshole on the way to which he responded in a joyous laughter. While Mara shook her head at my attitude but smiled. I guess she got used to how we treat each other.

"I wonder if we should get the details set for the wedding." Mara voiced out as she sits back on her seat. The plane had just successfully taken off.

"We already are." I said cheekily with a smile of my own. I know what she meant by her words.

Although we have started picking out themes and decorations for our wedding, we haven't had the chance to sit down and talk about the date and place. It's been a hectic schedule for the both of us, not including the media that has been hounding the both of us. That and the fact that we haven't really talked to the wedding planner about these small details. But if I were to decide, I would want to marry her as fast as humanly possible.

I can't wait for her to finally be Mrs. Franco.

"You know what I mean." She said with a shake of her head.

"Sir." Emil's voice made me turn to him. He's sitting, with his buddy, behind us still looking professional as always. "Media's at the airport waiting for us."

My eyes widened in surprise. I was hoping that the media wouldn't get the word of us leaving the city for a while. I'm sure by now that they would have had a thousand of articles made up just from this small and short trip we had. Add the fact that interview just went up last night and I still haven't said a word to Mara to warn her about it.

This is truly a clusterfuck.

I just need an opening. To tell her that Alec and I have done steps to ensure that no one would call her those horrible words ever again. Somehow, even as I say this to myself, I couldn't help but feel guilty about going behind her back. I doubt she'll be happy to hear that I've used this trip as an excuse to hide that from her.

I looked at Mara, just to find her already looking me with a worried expression. I give her a reassuring smile of mine before turning to Emil. "We can handle them. Alert security at the airport."

Emil nods right away. "Right away, sir."

"I thought he works for us?" Mara asked, amusement covering her voice.

I grin at her. "He does."

She raises her brow at me, looking doubtful of my words. "Uh-huh. Looks like it too."

"Now, don't get jealous. He's still your bodyguard." I said with a laugh. She doesn't answer, instead she leans over, her face close to mine making my breath hitch. Her beautiful gray eyes staring right at me, her lips close to mine that with one wrong move we could kiss at any moment. Completely taking me by surprise. "Shortcake.." I breathe her nickname out, completely out of breath.

Her effects on me still makes me speechless. No one has ever had the power to surprise me and make me this breathless and speechless. Only Mara could do that. Only by those beautiful grayish eyes would I ever be like this.

"It's very unlikely for you to get so.. speechless." She says with a teasing grin on her lips. Reality comes crashing back to me at that. My sweet shortcake is teasing the hell out of me, expecting me to not do anything.

Before she can pull away, I crashed my lips down on hers.

I didn't care that we have other people on the plane. I didn't care if anyone saw us being intimate right now. All I cared about is how blissful and heavenly having her lips against mine felt. Once again, I am being flown away to the highest of high.

"You shouldn't tease me so much, shortcake." I said softly, as I look into her mesmerizing set of eyes. "I can only hold onto so much control." I pulled back, before I get too tempted by those luscious lips of hers.

Looking at her still surprised face made me smile. I could only hold onto so much control before it starts to slip away. Specially now that I have had the honor of tasting her lips.

I grinned at her, as I thought of what happened this morning. I'm still amused that she stayed that long staring at my back, thinking I didn't hear her at all. I just didn't turn around because I know she'll be embarrassed if found in such position. I thought she would do her business and leave. But when that didn't happened, I felt her eyes on my back. Like a temptress, she trailed her eyes down to my feet. Without waiting any longer, I turned around.

That was when her eyes widened as she was faced with my thing. I expected the reaction she had. She was so red, I couldn't help but laugh at her awful situation but at the same time I liked her reaction. I don't know why but I sense innocence still within her and that made me happy.

"Guess we're even." I told her.

As if a bucket of cold water was poured on her, she came back to reality and fell back on her seat. Her face starting to heat up once again. Without a doubt, she clearly knew what I meant by my words. She was quick to look away, her eyes focused on the sky outside of the plane window.

I wanted to tease her more, but at that exact moment Emil whispered something to me. Taking me by surprise at the words that came out of his mouth. I took a glance at Mara, her eyes turning solemn at the expression on my face.

The media seem to eat at the new information about Mara and is digging deeper into her past.

I feel like she knows what I did but is waiting for me to say something about it. That sounds just like her. As if she heard my thoughts, she utters the words that made me nervous and guilty.

"When are you going to tell me, Dy?" she asked, her voice low and full of disappointment.

My eyes widened at her expressionless face. She looks at me so coldly, as if she couldn't believe I did what I did. "W-what do you mean?" I asked, lying through my teeth. That was the opening I was looking for and here I am. Too scared to face the fact that Mara might've found out from someone else instead of straight from me. That was my job.

She shakes her head softly, a sad smile showing on her lips. "You said you'll never lie to me. Ever."

My eyes widened even more at her words. I did. I told her that.

"Dy.." she called me. Her small feet dangling from the counter tops. Her hair messy from running around in school just before I picked her up.

"Yes?"

She seemed to mull over her next words, before finally voicing them out. "Why do people lie?" she asked, innocence can be heard in her words and can be seen in her eyes. She looks up at me with wondering eyes.

Why do people lie, indeed? It's a question I asked mom when I was younger. I could still remember her words to this day.

"There are good lies and bad lies." I told her, smoothing down her messy hair with my right hand. "Sometimes people lie to protect the ones they love the most."

She pouts, a tell-tale sign that she's thinking over my words. "Alec said lying is bad."

I smile. "It is, shortcake."

"Then why are there good lies?" She asked.

So inquisitive, my shortcake. "Because not all lies mean harm, sometimes they mean good."

She shakes her head in disagreement. Her brows scrunched together as she looks up at me. "Dy, lie is lie. Alec said I should never, for any reason."

"Okay. How about we make a promise?" I said, giving up on changing her opinion about this matter. She will soon grow up and form a different opinion on things. However, this is one of the things I wouldn't want to change about her.

"A promise?"

I nod my head. "I promise to never lie to you, about anything."

Her eyes brightens at my words. "Okay! I promise the same thing, Dy."

I looked away from her. I couldn't help but be disappointed in myself. I just lied straight to her face as she asked me about it. What is wrong with me? Mara never forgets a promise. "I'm sorry."

I heard her sigh loudly and shift in her seat. "Just tell me, Dy. I always make an exception of you, you know that."

I sighed, resigning to my fate. "I did an interview, right before I went to your house. And I used this trip as a distraction."

"So you really didn't care about the preparations?"

"No!" I answered right away, my voice louder than I expected it to be. "Of course I did. I just didn't want you to be in the city when everything comes out."

She sighs. "If you talked to the media, that means Al told you about everything."

I shook my head. Alec told me bits and pieces but there still missing parts to the puzzle that is Mara's past. "No. Just things I should know." I saw the disbelief in her eyes at my words. "I want you to tell me that. At your own time, whenever you're ready."

"Okay. But why the need for an interview?" She seemed to be able to breath freely once I said those words. I want to know so badly, shortcake. I really do.

"Because I wanted the media to stop calling you these shitty ass names." I sighed. Finally finding the courage to face her again and look her at her eyes. "I did it to stop them from harassing you any further than they already do. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, shortcake."

She frowns. "It was Alec's idea, wasn't it?"

"Yes but I also agreed into doing this." I told her honestly. I'm not about to throw Alec under the bus just to save myself. I've known Mara since she was a kid, I know when and for how long she can hold grudges. "Shortcake, I would do anything to make sure no one dares to question your position in my life. If anything, they can call me the gold digger."

"Somehow, you turned that confession into something sweet." She said, shaking her head. She smiles at me, a true beautiful smile. "I think... That was the sweetest thing anyone ever said to me, though."

"Do you want to know what I said in that interview?" I asked, wanting to redeem myself by doing this simple task. It's the least I could do.

She shrugged her shoulder before sliding her phone to me. I looked down at it and saw a group chat with Apollo and Artemis, both detailing the whole interview, word per word. "Got some loyal friends, huh?"

She grins at me with satisfaction. "You bet. Artemis loves gossip shows and Apollo always had to tag along."

I shake my head, amused at the skills and effort her friends are showing. They would, for sure, be friends for life. A kind of friendship that I found with Alec. "Well, I'm glad."

"Hmm. Just so you know, Apollo has the hobbit of hacking into servers and accounts. He's never been caught." She adds casually. So casual.

Amused, I stare at her. Her threat was loud and clear. I sighed. Remembering how Alec would always threaten someone in the same manner. Subtle but with the clear intent of retaliating once harmed. She sounded just like Alec and I know I should just take her seriously. "I know."

We spent the next hours of the plane ride in silence. Mara seemed to be lost in her own thoughts and so am I.

The next few days will be bad. With the interview going public, people would surely start to dig into her past. If they find something we were hiding, it would destroy both of us. A risk I was ready to face. But is Mara ready to be scrutinized even more by the public?

Alec and Jack have always hidden her from the harsh limelight that is over their family. They shielded her with all their might. Barely anyone knows the name of the youngest daughter of the Ramirez family. She was sheltered just like she should be.

If this issue gets any bigger than it already has, Mara might need to do an interview herself to

I'm afraid its that reality that scares me the most more than anything.

that Emil's intel was right.

The security team of the airport welcomed us and shielded us from any prying eyes as we enter the airport. We went through security in a private room before being escorted out again. This time, however, not only was the security team was waiting but also the dozens of media people waiting to get their hand on their next juicy report.

With my arms securely around Mara, I braced myself for the impact of the people bustling around. Even with the security team making way for us, it still took us some time to safely get inside the car. Not once did I let them get a picture of Mara's face.

Once we were out of the media's eyes, I let go of Mara.

"That was something." She said, completely out of breathe and scared at the same time. I smooth down her messed up her before completely pulling my arms back from her.

I chuckled and handed her a bottle of water that was in the seat beside her. "I got you, shortcake." I said comfortingly.

She takes the bottle thankfully and takes a drink from it without wasting another second. "Are we going home now?" She asked, her question directed to Emil who is sitting in the passenger seat of the car.

"No, miss. Sir Alec has asked us to take you to Mr. Franco's pad." Emil answers her. His eyes looking at her for a short amount of time. I noticed the small smile on his lips as he looks at her. He seemed to have gotten used to Mara. I never once saw him smile at me when he was assigned as my bodyguard back in the past.

Mara looked up at me, unsure and confused about what is happening. I smile at her. "Looks like you'll be spending another day with me."

She grins. "Have they kicked me out of the house?!"

I laughed loudly at her words. "Of course not, silly. It's just safer at my place."

She twists her lips, thinking about my words. "How is it safer in your house? "

I shrugged my shoulders and tapped Emil on his shoulder to explain. "Mr. Franco's place is not listed under his name. Therefore, lesser media people might be waiting there or if we're lucky, none at all."

"Well, maybe I can get a tour of the whole apartment. Considering I'm not drunk this time." Mara said, smiling at the both of us.

Maybe I can show her that room this time around?