A loud slapped landed on his face, and Quinn reached his left cheek as it stings. Ca.s.sandra did slap him, and he deserves it. Although she is not the girl who holds his heart and loves him back, still, she is the same Ca.s.sandra from a different time.

"Ca.s.sandra, wait!"

She runs past him, and so he catches her elbow, halting from running away from him. "Let me explain to you."

He pleaded. But Quinn saw how her eyes showing a frightening gaze at him. She was afraid of him, and it's his fault. She was innocent at the moment, unaware of the love they've shared. Mentally she is only twelve years old in the body of a full-grown teenager, and she doesn't perceive how they shared an intimate relations.h.i.+p in the past.

Ca.s.sandra is trying to grab her arm but Quinn held her tight. "Ca.s.sandra, listen to me first, please?"

"Wh— why should I listen to you?" stuttering, she said.

"You only have forgotten me. I mean you have amnesia, that's why you don't remember me anymore," he tries to explain.

"And what should I remember about you?" Her voice is a bit quivering.

"Ca.s.sandra, you may not remember but, I am your fiancé," Quinn revealed.

Her eyes grow wider. "How did it happen?" she asked and shocked displayed all over her face.

"Our parents are good friends. The arranged marriage brought up when you were born."

She blinks several times to ponder what Quinn is telling her, but she doesn't fully understand how that happens.

"I was there when you were born."

With this, her eyes brightened, and her confusion replaced with curiosity. "Is that true?"

"It is true," he smiled warmly. That wasn't a lie anyway.

Even that Book 1 ent.i.tled Entangled By The Past, he was there when she was born. Levi said, he helps Hannah during her labor, and he is the one who babysits her.

"You can ask our parents," Quin keeps trying to convince her.

Ca.s.sandra takes a silence, and once again pondering things whether it was real. Then why she's here if she has no relation to any of them? It is not just enough that their family is friends. So it must be true.

"But... is it I was just twelve to—" she gulped, then blushes remembering the kissed they've shared.

"I'm sorry. It's my bad. I should not do that, yes. I promised I won't do such a thing again," Quinn a.s.sured.

Ca.s.sandra looked at him in perplexity, a.s.sessing if he was telling the truth. "Okay," she replied then nodded.

Ca.s.sandra clasped both of her palms, only telling him she is very shy about what she discovered.

"I forgive you," she said, blus.h.i.+ng as she was trying to meet his burning gaze.

Quinn smiled. "Thank you," he said genuinely. "They were waiting now, so then, shall we?"

He gestured his arm toward the door and let her go first inside the mansion. Ca.s.sandra nodded, then walk ahead of him as he chooses to follow; the reason is, he sent a quick message to all.

Meanwhile, inside the dining hall, everyone received a text message. Exchanging glances, they wonder why they receive one at the same time. They check out their phone and the message content was like this.

'Am sorry. Something happened. So I ended up telling her I am her fiancé, and our parents arranged our marriage when she was born.'

Everybody's mouth dropped on the table. Did something happen? And what is that? Not taking long, they figured out what might happen and the reason Quinn has to create this story.

Anyway, Quinn and Ca.s.sandra were engaged for real. They don't need to lie. With this situation, they don't have a choice when things are complicated; not for them, but the Ca.s.sandra whom they with now.

Later on, Quinn and Ca.s.sandra joined them on the long table. Thoughtful, he pulled a chair for her to settle in the table, and everyone could notice how his left cheek reddened. They were correct to their guesses, it looks like Ca.s.sandra does slaps him hard.

Quinn rolled his eyes regarding everyone's reaction. Except for Landon who is furious as to how keenly he glares at him. He thought, he could finally distant her daughter from Quinn, but things did not go with his plan.

Looking at these people, everybody is itching to tease him, but no one would dare to do that when Ca.s.sandra is around. And so, let the night having a merry dinner.

After the supper is served, Ca.s.sandra quietly observing everyone enjoying a gla.s.s of wine and whiskey for the men after dinner. She noticed that they were drinking a lot already, but it seems, no one is getting drunk yet. Except for her father who began mumbling things she does not understand.

"Quinn Williams!" Landon yells, then stood from his seat, pointing a finger at Quinn, and Hannah is trying to pull him back to his chair.

"What are you doing?" Hannah is glaring at her husband. "Landon Young, mind your manners!" she scolds him.

"Huh? Is that man minding his manners?" Landon said between his hiccups of being drunk. "Remember, Quinn Williams! You can't touch my daughter!" he yells.

"Shut up. What you were thinking? We are better to go to our room. You were making a scene here!" she said firmly. Hannah stood from her seat, began pulling her drunk husband.

Ca.s.sie dropped her mouth open from her father's behavior. That was embarra.s.sing! Why does her father have to say such things? She sat up from her chair to help her mother. Her Papa Landon can't stand straight on his own but only made stagger steps.

"You brought embarra.s.sment on yourself, especially to our daughter!" she complains.

"Huh? I am just telling the truth!" he exclaimed.

"Just shut your mouth!"

"Mama, let me help you." Quinn offers a hand, took over Ca.s.sie, and by him alone, it well-supported Landon on his stand.

"Remember this, Quinn Williams! You can't touch my daughter!" Landon keeps bubbling.

"You already said that to him," Hannah pouted. She and Ca.s.sandra were following Quinn and her husband who's talking drunk.

"I won't be in a hurry, sir," Quinn responded.

"Do you think I will give you my daughter? You were wrong! You can't have her for a thousand years!"