Wild And Wicked

03 | Fear for respect

A/N: Constructive criticism is very much appreciated!

P.s.: Don't be a silent reader and do like and comment..Mwah🌺

Ever experienced a feeling, deep down in the pit of your stomach, giving you nothing but stress and worry. The anxiety increases, as if telling you that something wrong is absolutely going to take place. Something that, I know, I won't like. Yes, you are right. I'm talking about instincts.

Ever since I set in Gael's car, I am feeling this negative energy around me. As a result of which I've been thinking constantly giving myself a massive headache. Different scenarios of what could be the reason for suddenly calling me back? Did something happen? What if he knows what happened in the past? Even though I know he can't know the truth because I have been making sure of it. Yet, the doubt still lingers at the back of my mind.

The car came to a halt, making me jerk forward a little because of the force. Coming back to the reality, I noticed the passenger seat empty, making me frown.

"Where is Valentina?" I asked.

"We stopped a few minutes ago and dropped her outside her house. She even bid you goodbye, but you were too lost in your thoughts." Gael answered.

Was I that much lost in my thoughts?

'Take a deep breath and hold your emotions. You got this!' muttering a few encouraging words to myself, I sighed and stepped out of the car, while Gael holds the door for me.

A smile threatened to make its way at the thought that Gael is grown up, and turned to be a gentleman, but I curb it.

The guards saw us and immediately bowed down.

"They are still making people bow to them?" I whispered, putting on my cat eye shades.

"They really misunderstood fear for respect" Gael answered.

"I am glad you remember" I praised, remembering the first lesson I taught him.

"Kataleya? Why do everyone bow in front of our brother? Is this what being respected feels like" 10-year-old Gael, stared at me with his eyes sparkling like a crystal filled with emotions.

"This is not respect. They bow down to him because they fear him." I answered, wiping his dirty face with tissues, which was smudged with chocolate.

"Then what's respect? Was our father respected?" He asked again, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Respect is when people look up to you and admire you and your work. And, Our father was both feared and respected. In our world, you need to make people fear you in order to survive." I answered, expecting the curiosity in his eyes to go away, but that wasn't the case.

With my answers, the curiosity increased and so does his questions. One can never answer all the questions a child is curious about.

"What do you mean by our world?" Hearing another question from him made me sigh.

"You ask too many questions. But for now, just remember. Never mistook fear for respect. It's our first lesson." I smiled at him, earning a grin from him back.

"Of course I remember. It was our first lesson." Gael chuckled softly.

The time does fly by. Not too long ago you are living the moment, but when you look ahead, it just becomes a memory. Something one would cherish forever.

Both Gael and I entered the mansion.
Staring at the living room, the paintings on the walls, the staircase heading to the upper level, made me nostalgic. The happy moments, the sad ones and the ones filled with anguish, every single moment spent under this roof, came back to. Reminding me from where my journey started. The place where I took my first steps.