Chap 09

"Let's grab a lunch first. I know you're hungry. What do you want to eat?" He asked when they reach the island and walking into the resort.

"Since I'm here, why not try a Filipino dish? I miss my lola's adobo." Lauren was talking to her late Filipina grandma.

"Okay," but they went straight to the villas. He just called the restaurant an ordered them food to be delivered in the cottage.

Oscar saw the three men painting on the visible side of the house. They are painting the second floor because they needed to stand in a ladder to do that and he won't let Bella work on that too. When he asked if they ate then said that Bella haven't eaten yet.

"Let's eat in here; this is the closest cottage from the villa area. We can't just eat at the resort yet. The others are still busy so I don't have a companion to guard you." They are already at the open cottage over viewing the ocean.

"I can defend myself you know."

"Of course you do." He said sarcastically. "Stay here first, I'm going to call Bella to eat with us."

"Aren't you that concern for her?" She started teasing him again.

"Stop. She's my responsibility here. Dustin trusted me with her. If she's going to be sick while I'm here, then he might scold me. He's my responsibility now."

"Responsibility... my ass." He heard her say before he left.

He saw how serious Bella painting and seems to be shocked when he saw him. Just like he thought, she didn't noticed her time again. So he invited him to come with him. He went back to the cottage first and saw that the food already came and Lauren might fix it on the table.

"This place is amazing. How did you come up with the idea?" she asked when he sat next to her.

"For the whole resort? Dustin was planning on opening that area for business. When we suggested making some businesses here, he agreed. All of us helped to polish the beach area to be a resort, but Dustin still has the biggest share."

"Of course, he owns this island. Does his family agreed to it? Like, letting you do some business here too?"

"The island was a gift from his mother in his 21st birthday. So, his grandma or uncle doesn't have a hold on this. But, Dustin's family is nice to us since we met them. Especially Lola Dina, she's very witty and accommodating. They knew what who our father was and they knew his past too. She welcomed us with open arms." He smiled when he's telling that because he remembered how Lola Dina joked with them before.

"Really? That's nice."

"Yup, and she wanted to meet all of us someday. She wanted to see how our dad spread his genes, because she thought the goal of dad was to create a chain of beautiful men and women all over the world, with his genes."

"She's funny." Lauren said laughing. "Is that Isabelle?" she said when her gaze passed through him. When he turn he that Bella was about to leave but when they saw her, she decided to come closer.

"I brought us food. Come and join us." Oscar said so she went near them.

Bella was about to get the serving spoon for rice when he get it from her and he put rice on her plate. He's always been serving him, even when they are in the restaurant. Her grandma told her to be attending to any woman's need. Be a gentleman.

"Hi, you must be Isabelle?" Lauren approached Bella. "I'm Lauren, by the way." And saw that she was the one who grabs Bella's hands to shake.

"Ysa. You can just call me Ysa. Nice to meet you Miss Lauren." Bella said formally.

"You're super, formal Ysa, just call me Lauren too."

All through their lunch - at two PM - the two ladies didn't stop chatting. They didn't include him in their conversation, like he was not there. They talk about people they met and so on.

Women.

But deep inside, he's happy to see them conversing, like they are friend for a long time and just catching up. Lauren was the type who snobs someone she doesn't like. If he's not mistaken, people from her company or even around her, call her bitch because of her strictness and all. She's also a perfectionist. So she's happy that Bella won't have a taste of her sister's bitchy-ness.

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