Bedmates Soulmates

He's No Longer The Stray Dog

Helen had seen the rose-gold Carrera Chronograph in a shop before.

The man's outfit, from head to toe, was easily worth six figures.

Plus, he booked a private room in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Helen was impressed.

The boy who was broke and homeless just a few years ago had come up in the world.

She needed to handle him with more courtesy than originally planned.

Thinking of this, she reached out a hand and greeted him with a smile that was just a tad too artificial.

"Gideon! It's been such a long time since we last met.

Gideon ignored her proffered hand, inclined his head slightly and sat down. 'Mrs Vaugh."

He wouldn't have given the woman a second glance if it weren't for Kira.

This was a woman who abandoned her first husband and daughter for money.

Helen was Kira's biological mother, but the two looked nothing alike.

While Kira was petite and open-faced, Helen was voluptuous and disingenuous.

Her comely appearance was marred by a calculating gleam in her eyes.

Gideon hadn't missed the appraising once-over she gave him just now. Helen let her outstretched hand fall to her side.

Undaunted by Gideon's curtness, she sat down opposite him, still smiling.

'I haven't seen you for, what, must be close to four years now. You seem to have done quite well for yourself. I knew it. I knew you would make something of yourself eventually, and I was right.'

'Is that so?' Gideon leaned back in his chair, wearing an Insouciant smile. 'But I remember how you used to point your finger at my nose and call me a leech. What else? Ah, freeloader, hobo, bum, and...stray dog, if I recall correctly." Helen had the decency to blush.

'Gideon, you must have me mixed up with someone else. I would have never said any of those things to you.'

Helen had forgotten all about what she said to Gideon back then.

After all, he was a stray taken in by Kira and didn't look like he was going anywhere.

She'd tossed him out of her mind as soon as he left.

Though those words sounded like something she might have said, no way was she going to admit it now. Gideon dropped the subject.

He wasn't here to reminisce about old times.

'Mrs Vaughn, I arranged for this meeting because there's something I'd like to ask you."

Kira Is A Mistress

It was Helen's turn to posture.

She sat up straight, picked up the porcelain teacup with two fingers and took a delicate sip.

When she felt she'd made him wait long enough, she asked, 'What is it?"

'I want to know everything about Kira. I know she's a student at Stamford University, but it's the summer break now. She doesn't live on campus. The school doesn't have her home address on file.' Gideon fastened his gaze on Helen's made-up face. 'You are her mother. You must know where she is.'

Helen laughed.

'Gideon, how can you be so sure I know where she is? After all, you know what happened back then. I left the Hewitt family a long time ago." Helen jutted her chin.

The impetuous young man refused to shake hands with her earlier.

Nor did he have the courtesy to order first before they started talking. Now the table was turned.

Gideon gestured at Martin, who'd been standing quietly by the door.

The assistant approached with a cheque in hand.

"Will this help to jog your memory?"

Gideon pushed the cheque over the table.

Helen stared at the figure written on it.

She blinked, then rubbed her eyes and looked again.

She knew Gideon was rich now, but she had no idea just how rich.

The number made her eyes water.

Michael's company was in big trouble at the moment.

Though the cheque wasn't enough to cover all the losses of Veron Enterprise, it would allow them to keep their heads. above water for the time being. Helen lifted the cheque gingerly, careful not to crease it, and put it into her

Her smile was more genuine this time.

purse.

'Gideon, you're being too generous. I would have told you everything you want to know even without the cheque. Gideon curled his lip.

Helen had changed her last name, but not her nature.

She was every bit the snob she had been years ago-smile at the rich and scowl at the poor.

"I'm all ears."

"I don't have much contact with Kira,' Helen said. 'You know how it is, with the divorce and all. But I did run into her not long ago. She's...changed." 'Changed how?"

"It saddens me to say this about my own daughter, but..."

'But?' Gideon tapped a finger on the table.

'But she's no longer the innocent girl she once was. I think she'd got herself... what do they call it nowadays? Ah, a sugar daddy."

Helen shook her head. 'I didn't expect this was how she would turn out being a kept woman and selling her body for

"Are you absolutely sure?' Gideon gripped the edge of the table. 'Are you absolutely sure Kira's a.... mistress?

*I know it's hard to hear, but Georgi-I saw it with my own eyes. She was chauffeured around in a fancy car and dined at a high-end restaurant. There's only one conclusion to draw from that." Gideon's hands were clenched into fists.

Blood rushed to his head.

Helen carried on with her fake lament and feigned motherly concern, but Gideon no longer heard a word.

Kira sat on a bench and watched the frolicking couple on the lawn.

She couldn't help but feel a little envious

Giana and her boyfriend had been together for ages.

They started dating in high school.

Though they went on to different universities, they made the long-distance relationship work.

Noah video-chatted his girlfriend every night, and made the two-and-a-half-hour bus trip to see her every weekend.

He took a part-time gig during the summer break.

As soon as he was off work, he would come and see Glana.

Kira didn't want to intrude on the couple's alone time, but she had no one else to call for help.

Giana giggled at something Noah said.

She lowered her head and let Noah put a lei on her head.

He made it with wildflowers plucked from the roadside bush.

Kira snapped a photo of the young, photogenic couple.

They made such a perfect match.

Unlike other high-school couples who broke up after graduation, they stayed together and their love seemed to have only grown stronger.

Kira drew up her knees, braiding strands of grass she found on the bench.

The long, slender blades of grass were soon weaved into the shape of a bunny's head.

Kira stared at it.

Gideon taught her how to weave grass.

Unlike Giana and Noah, her relationship with Gideon didn't survive high school.

As for the boyfriend she had now...

Kira realised with a start that she couldn't call Austyn her boyfriend.

They never dated.

He never asked her out.

He was her husband, sure, but they never did any of the couply things that Giana and Noah did.

Like holding hands on a stroll.

Like sending 'good morning, 'good night,' and 'I miss you' texts.

Like video chatting.

All Austyn did was get mad at her after she went out for dinner with another man and lock her up in the hospital ward.

Thinking of this, Kira tossed the grass bunny on the floor and stomped on it, imagining it was Austyn's haughty, emotionless face.