She claimed him

4.

Daniel was too tired to even react. He wakes up with an empty stomach, he hasn't had breakfast or lunch yet. It was 3 in the afternoon. He got up and smelled bacon. He smiled at the thought of Kathryn cooking but quickly brushed it off.

He walked all the way down to his kitchen, and saw her standing there, hair all tied up into a messy bun, still wearing the exact same long white t-shirt. He can feel the intensity of admiration he used to have for her coming back.

"Good morning, sleepy head." Kathryn, greeted him lovingly.
"Were you up the whole day?" Daniel acted, and spoke casually.

"Yup, I cleaned the whole house. It was a bit dusty. Halatang ang tagal ng hindi nagagamit." She responded as she cooked and plated some of the food she made for him.

"Dig in." She sniled as she set down plates of food on the dining table.

After lunch, Kathryn proceeded to collect the empt plates and brought it all over to the sink to clean up. As if on impulse, she felt his arm wrap around her waist. To which he apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, I can't help myself." A bit of sadness in his voice.

She continued however, to wash the dishes while in the position they were in. She turned around after to face him to wrap her arms around his neck, resting on his shoulders.

"No strings attached, Mr. Padilla. Just a reminder." She said, winking at him.

"Why did you do it?" He asked her, whispering almost.

Kathryn was stunned by the question.

"No personal questions, Mr. Padilla?" She smiled along with her response.

"Why the fuck did you do it?" Daniel yelled almost shouting this time.

"I knew this wasn't a good idea." She responded as she walked away from the conversation.

"I just can't understand. Where did I go wrong?" His voice started to crack as he asked the question.

Kathryn, on the other hand, huried upstarirs and closed the door to the first room she saw.

The tears from Daniel's eyes started to fall. He can't believe he had tears left inside him, after everything he's been through, after all these years. He took his keys and made his way out of the mansion, hopping into his car and driving away.

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"How can you do that?" JC said through gritted teeth, already furious.

"I had too, it was the right thing to do." Daniel said, already shit faced drunk.

"You're too invested in your feelings for her." Seth said, calmly.

"Hindi ko parin maisip bakit mahal mo parin siya?" Katsumi asked, his heart breaking for his friend.

"Can you all just shut up and drink with me?" Daniel asked, annoyed at how his friends, and brother reacted.

Seth raised a bottle towards his friends, but a slap killed the mood, a hand striking across the face of Daniel.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" Daniel was slapped out of his drunked stupor, raising his face slowly to meet the the fuming Julia.

"She loves you, fuck you! She loved you even when you were so broken back then, even when she never stood a chance. She was there for you and your kids!!! How dare you do this to her?" Janella proclaimed as she wiped her own tears.

"I won't cancel the wedding, Janella. Na-postpone lang." Daniel replied calmly before downing the bottle of beer in his hand.

"I really hope so, because she won't fight this fucking battle alone Daniel! I swear you won't be happy if you leave her." Janella turned her back on the group of friends before trudging off.

"You are destroying your life when all Julia wanted to do is put it back to pieces." Seth said under his breath.

"Hindi naman umayos, magaling lang akong magpanggap." Daniel responded with a half hearted smile, his eyes staring into the distance.

The group continued drinking until it was time to go, the others called it a night but Daniel was still drinking on.

"Sir, magsasara na po kami." The waiter said and looked out the window, the sun was already up.

Kathryn woke up with repetitive noise of the doorbell, she put on a silk robe to cover her naked body, then made her way downstairs to answer the door. "Ang aga mo na-"

"So it is true." Seth said, cutting Kathryn off as he stared at the woman who destroyed all of their lives.

"How stupid can my brother be?!" JC said, annoyed as he carried his brother into the mansion, an arm over his shoulders. Kathryn felt a huge amount of embarrassment, not sure whether it's because of her past or because she wasn't wearing anything under her sheer, thinly clothed silk robe.

JC and Katsumi put Daniel on the couch before heading to the door where Seth stayed. Before closing the door Katsumi looked at her and said, "I still can't believe I actually liked you for him." Then shut the door behind him as they left.

Kathryn stared at the drunk Daniel while her tears suddenly burst out.

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Daniel woke up with a pang of pain in his head. He checked his phone and saw a couple of messages from his sons and mother but none from Julia.

"Hey I heard you're in Malaysia for 3 months, you wouldn't be able to attend our recognition?" -Julian.

"I need money for our cotillion next month, can you just send it to tita Julia. Thanks"

-Josh.

"I'm so disappointed in you."

-Mom.

Daniel massaged his forehead to ease the pain. He was quickly given a glass of water with a fizzy disc inside, for rehydration.

"I can see how hungover you are, I think this would help." Kathryn said as she handed over the glasss, which he took immediately and drank from, he stared at her as he did so.

"You know what cures hangovers?" Daniel asked, still pressing a thum and index against his temples.

"What?" She asked as she set the glass down on the sidetable.

Daniel followed her, and whispered, "Sex."

"Okay." She answered.

"Okay?" Daniel asked, a bit puzzled.

"Oo, okay. Diba I'm yours for 3 months. So how can I deny your request?" She was looking at nothing in particular as she said that.

"I'll meet you upstairs then, after you wash the glass." He turned on the balls of his feet and hurried to the kitchen to wash the glass.

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A/N: HEY WHAT'S UP HELLO!!! SORRY 3 DAYS HIND NAKAPAG UPLOAD NAGING SUPER BUSY LANG PROMISE SUNOD SUNOD NA ANG UPDATE IF HINDI MAN EVERY OTHER DAY GANUN. So how's the story so far? I'm so happy sa outcome ng book 2 everyone has been so supportive naman. THANK YOU! ANYWAY USE THE HASHTAG #SheClaimedHimKN if you're going to tweet something about this book.