The Kidnapped Bride

The two different answers were no less than any shock. Turning their faces, they stared at each other with utmost surprise in their expressions.

The wide eyes indicated that this was already out of their expectations but seeing their mixture of expressions made the old man's heart flutter.

"Alright. You need clarification between yourself. I will probably skip this question for now." 

The voice, filled with a little bit of tease, brought both of them at ease when they simply nodded their heads.

"Daughter, you might not be aware who I am. Maybe I should introduce myself but if I did, this will raise many questions, and I am not entitled to answer them." 

Jennifer's heart was clutched when she felt that a man looked straight into her eyes, without the look of confidence, "I..It's. alright.."

"Javier will reveal to you. I guess he hasn't. Right, Javier?" The old man asked, returning his attention back to Javier who was still drinking the tea.

Receiving a nod from his side, made the Old man believe that he was right in making the assumption. 

"So I hope you should ask your dear husband about me as well."

"I will soon. You won't have to act cold and distant with her for long, uncle." Javier answered without the change in his expressions but the old man sighed.

Noticing the amount of curiosity that lingered on Jennifer's face, made him understand that this was the time to leave them alone.

Standing on his toes, the old man walked to one of the shelves present and took out the bag of jute. 

Turning around, he faced them with a smile and spoke, "I was worried about how I should leave them home alone. But I guess this is the right time."

"W-why can't you leave them home alone?" Javier wasn't able to understand the reason behind the old man smiling, "Robbery has increased in this place."

There was a way to refer to these words and Jennifer just agreed to stay until he returned after doing some of his work. 

But a scoff left Javier's mouth when he laughed, gulping his mouth to not show his chuckle, "Do you ever have anything.. hahaha.. that will get stolen?"

Old man's lips were pursed straight when he passed the child dagger signs, "I have a lot of things, which are of value. You know them better. So, don't kid around and take care of the house behind my back."

Shifting his attention to Jennifer, she got straight and folded her hands, to appear like an obedient daughter in law, "I don't have any expectations of him but I hope you will take care."

"S-sure uncle." From where did he gain so much of confidence in her, thought Jennifer

Internally she was over the moon that he found her at least the bit responsible and gave her such a  duty to at least take care of his house… at least that is what he said.

Taking his bag along with himself, the old man went out of the house when the voice of the door closing was heard.

A sigh escaped her lips when she turned around to look at the man, resting on the couch idly, "You could have been more polite."

"We have this in common. Pulling each other's legs is how we behave so don't worry, there aren't anything named formalities with this." His comment was clear to say that he doesn't have the typical uncle-type relation with the old man.

'It must be really special for him to behave so normally…' Since he likes to keep himself away from the mess, she was quite amazed to see this side of him.

"So.." coming and sitting by his side, she said further, "Will you now tell me, about the tale that uncle just said."

In return, he didn't respond instantly. Instead, kept on drinking his tea while being in a daze. Thousands of thoughts crossed his mind to make him wonder, should he even reveal them?

'But she is missing her family and.. probably some of my family's problems will… make us connect now?' He was doubtful about this theory that related in his mind yet that never hindered his courage.

Taking a deep breath, he gulped the tea in one of his hands and then faced Jennifer with honesty in his eyes. "To begin with, this house is not that old man."

Just one comment and it was enough to make her eyes narrow. Her brows lifted up from their space when she inquired, "How so?! That man seems to be living here for so long.. I thought.."

"...that this house is his? It is indeed his but.. not legally. So, yeah, here is the tale which I said.. I should tell you." 

Keeping the cup on the table, Javier took her hands into his, with her evident frown that attached to her forehead. Intertwining their fingers, he never lifted his eyes.

His actions did confuse her, making her wonder why he was taking so long to say and reveal anything? Who was the old man to him?

Rather than making eye contact, he looked down on her nails, "My mother and father… were a happy couple. At that time, my uncle… I mean, my mother's real uncle gifted this house to my mother."

"That was years ago. I guess this was the time when Charles was born. Out of respect and love for his nephew and sister, this house was brought under the name of my mother."

Jennifer still felt that he was trying to adjust to the aura but it was getting hard for him to just spill it out at once. 

Keeping her hand on his shoulders, she passed him a sweet smile while blinking her eyes.

"Take all the time you want," she said, and in response, he took a deep breath to answer back.

"T..this is..the place.. where my mother used to live when she got away from my cheater father."

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