here he comes, I quickly comb my fingers through my hair and splash water on my face.

What is wrong with me?

I rush to wait for him at the sitting room and when he walked in, I try to collect his briefcase then I remember what he said about not touching his things without his permission.

"Welcome Sir, may I carry your briefcase?" He looks at me in confusion. "Hmm.. to your room?"

"No." He replies firmly and starts walking away, he looks really furious. I wonder what happened to make him that angry.

"S-sir... should I bring your food to your room?" I ask while biting my lips nervously.

"I'm not hungry." He says harshly.

"S-sir?" I call again. And it is a mistake. A very big one, his jaw ticks in anger and he explodes.

"What?!" He roars and walks towards me menacingly, I am so scared that I have to take a few steps away from him. When my back hit the wall and he caged me into the wall with his large body, I realized then that there is no escape from this one.

"I-I just wanted to thank you for defending me earlier." I whisper slowly.

His expression softens and his eyes fixes on my lips.

Omg! What is going on?

With a now racing heart beat, I bite my lips like I always do whenever I'm nervous and his eyes widens. Suddenly, he pulls away from me while muttering something under his breath and walks up the stairs leading to his room.

It is late at night and I feel so tired since I have been working in my office since morning with just a little break. There is a lot to do, a lot of paper works fill my table that mere looking at them makes me cringe.

I don't like the family business, I'm not cut for it-or so I thought-and I have always wanted to be a footballer, I was so good at it in school but being the only heir of my family, the pressure is always on my shoulders to take over the family business. I know it is going to get even more worse once my father retires.

I get into my car and start the ignition, I don't have a driver yet so I'm driving myself.

I drive into the compound and spot a strange car, probably belonging to one of Ash's friends or mum's visitor.

The moment I step in, the person I see at the sitting room makes me want to rush back outside and go back to where I am coming from or better still hide in my car.

I turn to do just that when she called my name with over enthusiasm.

Cassie.

"What are you doing here Cassandra?" I ask although I may have an idea as to why she is here.

We have been engaged by our parents for the sake of our business, so that a merger can be created between all of our companies. I was 18 and she was just 13 then. I don't like her, she is arrogant, mean, too clingy and she jumps from one men to another, definitely not a good wife material.

I see my mom walking down the stairs and a wide smile takes over her face when she sees that I'm back.

"Jace, you're back."

"Yes, mom."

"I already asked Sasha to prepare something nice for dinner. Go upstairs and freshen up so that you can eat with us at the dining room." Mom says while giving me a peck on the cheeks.

I sigh in resignation as I walk towards my room while wondering what Sasha is preparing this time. Sasha. There is something about that innocent looking maid that draws my attention to her.

I don't know if it's her wavy blonde hair, her cute pointed nose or her deep red lips that looks like a ripe cherry.

Don't go there Jace, you know it's impossible.

Well, whatever it is I have been ignoring it and pushing it back. She is just a maid after all.

A very cute one at that.

After setting the table, everyone takes their seat and I start dishing out their food but Jace insists that he will dish out his own food by himself.

I turn to leave when his hear his voice.

"Sasha why don't you join us at the dining?" He asks while taking a sip of water.

Ashley drops her spoon and it clatters on the table and she stare at her brother like he has lost his senses while Cassie glares at me with hatred.

"Why should she join us?" Madam Emily asks casually.

"I will rather not eat than to allow this poverty stricken and disgusting girl sit at the same table with me." Cassie makes a gagging noise at the back of her throat.

Jace's mouth hangs open in shock, he has no idea how much bullying and insults I get from these girls although his mother doesn't care, she has never insulted or maltreated me before but she knows Ashley does and she does nothing to defend me or scold her.

I know Jace is trying to be friendly although he always have a cold and indifferent attitude but each time he tries to defend me he only makes it worse without intending to.

"Cassie! That was too harsh." Jace yells slightly while Ashley snorts.

While holding back my tears, I resist the urge to run to my room but walk towards my room slowly.

Wow.

I know Cassandra is mean and arrogant but I didn't expect her to say what she just said.

Cassie takes a deep breath and covers her face with her hand, she looks remorseful but this time around, I don't know if I should believe her or not.

"God! I shouldn't have said that." She bites her lips and stands up.

"Where are you going Cassie?" My mom asks her.

"I have to apologize, you're right Jace, that was harsh and I feel so guilty."

Ashley opens and closes her mouth as if she is shocked, me too. Maybe Cassie is trying to change after all.

Tears glisten in my eyes as I rush into my room. I pick up the picture of my mom which is on the table and hug it tight while sobbing really hard. I prefer crying when I'm hurt than bottling up my feelings till I lose it and snap.

Mom, why did you have to die? Why did you have to leave me when I needed you the most? Why?

I hear a knock on my door, I wipe my tears hastily and I go to open it. What I do not expect to see is Cassie, the amount of hatred and venom in her face as she glares at me makes me want to shrink till I become invincible. What have I done this time?

"Do you think I'm Ashley, who let Jace scold her and even made her apologize to you? So she is right? Have you been flirting with my fiancé all this while?"

Fiancé? She is engaged to him?

And why did Ashley tell Cassie that I have been flirting with Jace when I never have?

She slaps me, draws my ear and twists it so hard that I didn't know when tears starts rolling down my face. I whimper in pain and struggle to get away from her but she twists it even harder. I don't know why some people hate others for no reason, I keep on wondering what I have done to deserve the kind of treatment Cassie and her minors give me.

I hear the sound of a footstep coming towards my room and Cassie suddenly wipes my tears and I see tears also rolling down her face.

What is happening?

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She keeps on saying while giving me a bone crushing hug.