Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Marietta P.O.V

The rays of the sun were gleaming the green leaves of the trees. The sweet chirping of birds was echoing around me while I was sitting frozen in a bewildered state, staring at nothing particular.

I blinked when I realized that I did not blink for a while. Letting a deep breath out, I stoop up and started to walk towards the exit of this jungle.

I stopped when I was at the exit. Mansion was in front of me. I stared at the white marble, shining in the sun's rays. I was not feeling anything, nothing at all. I was just confused as I sighed and again started to took small steps towards it.

It was a really dark night but the sun had shined. That was the hope which the sun always gave us. It didn't matter how dark the night was, its rays would always lighten up the darkest places in the world. It tells people, not to worry, there would always be light after the dark. The light that could fill every dark corner of Earth, Brain, Soul, and Heart.

And... I had to find that light or maybe I am that light.

"Where were you?" Mom asked as soon as I entered my room. She was sitting on the bed, looking at me. As she stood up and walked towards me. She looked like she had not slept last night. Her eyes had eye bags and her face looked tired.

"I......um......I ....." I trembled, not knowing what to say.

"You what?" She glared at me angrily.

Could I tell her that last night a person more like a Vampire had tried to kill me? Then someone saved me after that I fell unconscious and woke up with the rays of the sun. Would she believe me?

"Marie?" She snapped her fingers in front of my eyes. I looked at her face which was showing concern and worry. I gulped.

"If I tell you...you will never believe me so, don't ask." I said and strode towards the washroom.

I breathe in relief when I heard the sound of the door closing, indicating Mom had left. I looked at myself in the mirror. My neck had red marks of fingers and it was hurting a bit. A cold chill of fear run down my spine and an unknown feeling appeared in my stomach. I quivered.

The face of that vampire appeared in front of my eyes. That was not a dream, not even a nightmare. I really saw a vampire and that was an acidulous truth, which was unpleasant to acknowledge. But who was he? Where did he come from? Why did he want to kill me?

'Why all this happening to me?'

I looked at myself again, nothing was different. I looked as same as other girls but still, there was something unusual. It was a gut feeling which often happened to be true. I sighed and shook away all my thoughts.

I took a shower to relax. Shifting in a bathrobe, I walked inside the closet to find something to wear which could hide my neck. But badly almost some dresses were off-shoulder, some boat-neck, A-line, V-line...... Damn it!

After looking for more than ten minutes, at last, I found a black pair of pants with a black high-neck shirt. I picked a black blazer that had some golden pattern of flowers, running down in the border on the front button area of the blazer. I changed into it and made my way downstairs.

Mom was sitting on the couch with a magazine in her hand. I trudged towards her and she spoke without looking at me. "Good afternoon!"

Oh! So she was mad at me.

"Mom, I'm sorry." I said with a sweet smile. She put the magazine aside and walked towards the kitchen before saying, "Come eat something first." I followed her.

I ate my breakfast silently under her calculating gaze. Once I finished the last bite of sandwiches. She spoke. "So, what is bothering you?"

"Nothing." I gulped. She knew I was lying. As she sighed deeply and placed her hand on mine. She smiled warmly at me.

"Sweety, you know sometimes we have to share our problems with someone. In order to get helped. It would also reduce our burden. Because talking your heart out with someone you trust is another way of helping yourself." She smiled.

"I won't force you to tell me but you must share it with someone. Anyone whom you trust and you know they could help you." She nodded her head at me. "You got this? Try to trust people. Don't suffer alone with whatever is bothering you."

I weakly smiled at her. Of course, she was my mom and a mother always knew what was going on inside her children's head. But... Did I really not trust anyone? Although it wasn't my fault. The situation was something unexplainable. What could I possibly do? Should I tell Mom?

No. I couldn't tell her. It might also drag her into danger. It would be mean if only to lessen my burden I danger my mother's life.

"Mom trust me. Nothing is bothering me except that accident." I said while my heart was telling me to share it with her.

"Sweety, it was an accident and it has nothing to do with you. Don't you heard about it?" She smiled. Her smile was giving me strength.

"About what?" I asked.

"Past is history, future is a mystery but today is a gift. That is why it is called present." She smiled. "So, what happened was a history yet a mystery but still there is a future ahead of you. And to make your future better you should use your present as a gift."

"Life gives second chance to only a few people. You are alive because fate is with you. There must be something your destiny want from you. So, try to live in the present, not in the worry of the past. The past is just a lesson. The thing that matters is what you have learned?" Mom smiled. Her each and every word was touching my heart directly. I understood what was she saying. I nodded.

"Mom, what should I do now?" I asked, looking at her bright hazel eyes and hopeful face.

"I don't know! It's up to you. What do you want to do now?" She asked.

'What do I want to do?'

"Mom, I know what I want to do. Thank you." I said, hugging her. She smiled and kissed my forehead.

"You're welcome, my love. Do whatever you want just remember one thing... I am always with you." She said, hugging me back.

*****************

I was sitting inside a cafeteria looking at a couple with a baby. They were laughing, chatting, and eating ice creams. If Al and Mia were not dead, they would be just like them. I sadly smiled.

'Life is unpredictable. You can never know what is going to happen.'

My first task was to find the real culprit which was maybe that blue-eyed guy. That guy had perished the footage along with the camera. If you focus on the cause of the accident it was brakes, car brakes were not working as far as I remember. Then it means someone wanted to finish the three of us together, right?

Why? Because of shares. Al and Mia's share had given to the other shareholder while mine to Caro. The stock rate of Amino shares was increasing nowadays. That accident proved very beneficial for business. No one besides Caro was on profit right now but she could never kill her brother just for shares. She could simply ask for some extra shares.

That explained someone had other reasons to do this, might be personal reasons. Then Daddy must have known something about the killer. Because I didn't remember anyone as our enemy besides all business rivals.

"Hey!" Bre's voice put me out of my trance. I smiled at him as he sat in front of me.

"Hey! Hopefully, I didn't disturb you." I said. After ordering coffee, he turned towards me.

"Yes princess, you did bother me but I'm sure there would be something worth bothering." He said with a threatening gaze which was telling me he had left a lot of work behind to just met me here.

"Bre, I want my shares back." I said, coming directly to my point. He looked at me with his jaw hung low and wide eyes.

"You want what? Are you sick?" After staring for five minutes, at last he spoke just to joke, and then laughed at his own lame joke.

"I'm not joking. I want all of them back. Plus I want to start my study again to learn the remaining things about the business." I said with a serious face. When he noticed I was serious he became one too.

"Good. It's a good decision but you should talk with Sir Max about it instead of me." He advised. The waiter came and left, placing our coffee in front of us.

"If I can, then why would I bother you?" I looked at him with a frown on my face. Didn't he know we were not talking? He stared at his coffee with lost eyes. I remained silent too.

"Okay, I can see what can I do for you." He sipped his coffee while mine was still untouched.

"I'll meet you at 9 tonight in the study room. Then I'll tell you what to do." He said and I nodded.

"Bre, there is one more thing." I said and sipped my coffee. Its bittersweet taste freshened me.

"Yes." He said.

"I want you to know whether my illness is true or false." I said and looked at him. I had a feeling it was fake but still I needed confirmation. He laughed, hearing me.

"Of course, it's fake. Nothing to know about it. It's all Veward deeds. He blackmailed the doctor to escort you from your room legally!" He mimicked the word 'legally' in a funny style that I laughed too.

After drinking our coffees, he left for the office and I drove back home. I was passing by the highway when a weird feeling appeared in my stomach again. My heart started to beat fast as I tried to focus on the road. Sweat drops appeared on my forehead. I was feeling scared without any reason.

When it became more difficult to drive, I stopped the car aside and hopped out. The fresh air calmed my senses and I closed my eyes for a bit. When a muscular coughed made me open them. My brows creased together looking at the thing in front of me.

"What kind of thing are you?" I asked astonished. A strange creature was looking at me and that strange creature looked, somehow, exactly as same as my dream creatures.

"A guardian thing, at least better than the rest because I have human ears." He pointed towards his ears and laughed.

Did I get what he said? NO! Of course not. I stared at him from head to toe, confused. He had beautiful Chinese eyes no doubt but his long-shiny white hair was not normal. Not forgot to mention his white gown hiding his foot and the white belt on his waits.

He had the same dressing style just like my dream creatures of accident night. Dream? I was not dreaming, right? I pinched my arm. Ouch! It wasn't a dream. It was...

"Stop staring at me. I know I'm handsome." He winked. I didn't have time to feel embarrassed. As I was still staring at him with bewildered eyes. On a different note, he sure was handsome but weird at the same time.

"Who are you? What are you???" I shouted, looking up and down again at him.

"The name is Mike." He said and grabbed my wrist. I looked at him confused. I tried to snatch it away but his hold was pretty strong.

"Leave me!" I yelled but ignoring my plead he said,

"I'll give you my full intro later because first, we have to go."

"To where?" I asked frightened, widening my eyes at his behavior.

"To Crystal World." He replied, grinning.