The Grand Mistress

"Yes I promise," Hawk repeated her own words. "Besides, there's really nothing to tell they won't believe me if I tell them you live in this house,"

"Some of the boys knew I live in this house," Cat told him, "But I told them my father is just a gardener here and that we worked for the lady who lives in this house,"

"A lady?" Hawk was intrigued. He saw what transpired earlier and thought if there was any lady around, would she have not interjected in the argument Cat's father and the older man had.

"My grandmother, she used to live here," The girl said the word and it felt something stuck in her mouth as the memory of her hit something inside her. 

"Why do you say that so sadly?" 

"She passed away already," She answered and Hawk immediately understood why the mention of her grandmother went hard on her. Wanting to change the topic and curious, he gently asked about the people he saw earlier.

"The old man earlier. Who is he?"

"He is my grandmother's husband,"

"Your grandfather then?" Hawk saw the girl's hesitation with his question and thought perhaps she'll not answer anymore but he was sure surprised when Cat answered a little later.

"I don't call him that, I call him Don Benedicto," The girl replied. This time her once solemn expression changed and it went from soft to hard like the man she just mentioned wasn't someone that was making her feel dejected, he was making her strong and angry.

"I didn't know him at all. He just came here one day and I was told he was my grandmother's husband," Cat told her so. Her narration touched something in Hawk's little heart as it told him many things and one of those was that the girl, right then, was trusting him with her secrets. "Obviously my papa doesn't like him but when my grandmother was sick, he was one of her comforts and so papa let it be. Now that she's gone, I don't know why he still comes here and the arguments started,"

"Was it always like that between them?"

"Yes and to be honest I don't know why. It was obvious their relationship wasn't that good from the beginning," Cat answered, not holding off anything. With all that was happening in the mansion and the burden he carries with him all the time, it was hard for Cat to talk to her father about these things and for the first time, she found someone who can listen to all of it.

"He wants you to go to the city…" Hawk recalled the argument that took place. "He said you had a sponsorship in Mara Ballet company,"

"I don't want to go there, I already got accepted to the school I wanted," She told him, very determined about her plans.

"But do you know what Mara Ballet Company is? It's a big thing...no it's not big...its grand!" Hawk blabbered about it. He knew about it of course as it was the most well celebrated ballet company in the capital who had produced and recommended ballerina's in big theaters abroad. For anyone who wanted to have a good future in ballet, then Mara Ballet company was their stepping stone.

"Really?" The girl was almost influenced by the boy's expression as it bore all the admiration and respect he had for such company. The girl however knew nothing about it as she was kept all her life in the suburbs and if not for her grandmother, she would never have known ballet at all. She didn't even know she had to go to big schools to study advanced ballet, not until her ballet teacher recommended her to have an audition. "I only heard it from him...from Don Benedicto,"

"If you had been granted full scholarship, then it must mean you are very good at it," Hawk told her. With what he heard from the arguing adults earlier, he thinks that Don Benedicto was right, the girl would probably like the Mara Ballet Company better than anywhere else. It was just that she was still so naive about so many things and wasn't exposed to so many opportunities so she grabbed only things that she can, without even knowing she can have more. 

"You are flattering me. The truth is I don't remember sending applications or having an audition in Mara Theater Ballet. The servants said, I must have been accepted because Don Benedicto was a powerful man," She sighed. That was also one thing she didn't like about this whole Maram Ballet Company ordeal. She didn't want to go to any schools because of the Don's influence as it only made her less confident in herself.

Hawk thought about what she said and realized what Cat said must have been true. If she didn't attend any auditions, then perhaps Don Benedicto will pull some strings so she can land a slot in the said theater company. He was a Han afterall. Earlier, when the adults were arguing, he didn't recognize him as he had never seen him before but when Cat told him his name, he immediately recalled the head patriarch of the Hans—Don Benedicto Han. In the capital then, he was the current CEO of the Han's Scintillait and because his reputation as a businessman was good, his name always made it to elite conversations. 

When he had thought these things, he had then confirmed that what his butler said was true. Indeed they were the Hans and his father was Don Benedicto's heir, Mauro Han and the girl was the Han's heiress.

"Maybe. However I knew that once you are there, they'll see you are not an ordinary ballerina," Hawk smiled trying to lift up her confidence. "I know someday you'll be great,"

Cat looked at Hawk meaningfully and her heart warmed up. Perhaps it was because of the boy's confidence in her or the fact that she had somehow found someone to listen to all her heart's concerns—changed something that was in her heart that day. When her grandmother died, her dreams of ballet were faltering and although she goes to ballet calls regularly, she wasn't as passionate as before. However, hearing the little boy's word then lit up the fire that had long been put off. For the first time in so many days, she was hopeful about her ballet dreams.

"I'll be great you'll see," She said like it was a promise. "Someday I'll be in a big stage dancing with so many people and with dazzles and sparkles,"

"I'll sure be in the crowd watching your performance then I'll cheer with the loudest clap after," He beamed at the thought. Seeing the girl with lifted spirits and all smiles made him feel accomplished. Finally she smiled after crying for a long time.

"Do you think I should go to the Mara Ballet company?"

"Up to you," Hawk answered and blabbered on. "Go wherever your heart tells you so. I know you'll be great anywhere but since you are a Han's heiress I think it would be better if you go to the Mara Ballet company," Just when he had said the words, Hawk wished he could take it back. Did he just mention she was a Han's heiress? In panic, he looked at her expression and saw how it dimmed. 

"How did you know I'm a Han heiress?" Cat raised a brow at him. She wondered how the young boy knew about these things as she had never mentioned it to him.

Good thing Hawk was quick enough to think of something. "Did I mention before that my father was an ambitious man?"

"Yes, that's why you act so graciously at the eatery,"

"He hopes that someday I'll make it to the city and work with Hans. The Han's were jewellers and he thought that working on such a company will make one rich right away," Hawk went on with his pretend narrative trying to act natural to escape the girl's suspicions. "Although we don't know much about the Han's, the current CEO Don Benedicto Han was somehow a popular personality, so when you said his name earlier, I knew right away it was him,"

"Also, everyone in the capital was aware he had a son. His son was married to a Gao from Mondrew City and they have a daughter," Hawk continued. "His son Mauro Han was to succeed him so their daughter is the Han's heiress."

"You sure knew a lot," Cat replied but for some reason her expression darkened, like there was something in what he said that sponsored some bad emotions on it. 

"I just heard and learned it all from my father," Hawk acted innocently. He hates the fact that she had just told her some secrets but he can't tell her his. He knew she would be in great danger if she learned anything about him.

"Then I tell you now Spin, your father sure knew nothing about the Han's," She said and smiled bitterly at it.

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