( Beverly Hills, California. )
Arian gently fluttered open his eyes, afraid his nightmare would follow him back to reality. Hot sweats trickled down his face but he felt cold, so cold.
The familiar smell of his bedroom assured the ill French that everything was still sane. Feeling the effect of the sedative still strong in him, Arian was about to drift off again when the soft whispers of his mother filtered into his ears.
“Doctor Stephen, will he really be alright?” Her frail voice was teary.
“Of course, Rose! Have some faith. It’s only a high fever and nothing more.”
“But I’m not just talking about his physical health! I know my son. Deep down, I know he’s not fine!”
“There’s nothing wrong with the young master physically but I fear…”
“Afraid of what?!” The frightened mother interjected.
“I fear that he’ll need some intense psychological therapy as soon as possible.”
“Are you insinuating my son is crazy?!” She sounded crossed.
“I’ll be frank with you, Rose. I’m not a specialist in that department but judging from the mental stress he’s been going through lately and his repeated suicidal attempts, a psychologist is what Arian needs or he might sink into a stage of depression that is difficult to save. He…”
Bullshit. Arian mentally scoffed.
Suicide? He only wanted to take a swim because the pool looked really tempting and he almost did…. if not for the crazy bitch who pulled him back at the last second!
The ill French couldn’t cuss or fight the sedatives anymore because he drifted him into dreamland again..
***
Elva impatiently waited for Natalia to return from her morning jog with her prince charming.
With every minute that passed, her blood seemed to boil more hotly in her veins. She turned to grab her phone when Natalia walked into the room. Sweat glimmered lightly on her skin like lotion with her hair in a ponytail.
She took off her ear pods and phone and tossed them on the bed before trashing her water bottle.
“Hey.” She breathed at Elva, finally noticing her presence. But the royal assistant was in no mood to be hey-ed.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice was flat. Natalia sat on a couch and took off her trainers.
“I’m too tired to play the question game with you right now. So what exactly do you mean?” She stood up and walked into the bathroom. Elva trailed after her stubbornly.
“Why didn’t you tell me you broke up with Arian?”
Natalia froze midway from re-packing her hair. “Because I thought you knew.” She answered more casually.
“Why?!” Elva was speechless.
“Why what? Why breaking up with him or why not telling you? Be specific, I’m exhausted.” She removed her wristband and tossed it away.
“Both!” She demanded.
“You know why.”
“Sorry. But aside the fact that he’s engaged, I can’t see any other reason why!”
“Why do you make it sound like fornicating with an engaged man is right?!” She threw back.
“At least he’s not yet married! And hey, I’m doing the accusing while YOU are defending. Don’t turn the table on me!”
Natalia pulled open the cabinet which held her exotic bath soaps and oils before turning on the bath tub.
”Look, Natalia might be helpless but I’m sure the Empress can do something to break off the engagement or something. Natalia, you still have a fighting chance! Don’t let that scheming, manipulative whore win and destroy you!”
“Elva, no one is destroying me. The only person destroying me is myself! What do you expect me to do, huh? There’s nothing anyone can do! It’s business. Legally signed and stamped! There’s no turning back. Arian’s fate is sealed! It has been sealed for decades!
“The best wedding present I can give him is by staying away so he can get over me as quickly as possible and find happiness in his new life!” She forcefully emptied one bottle after another into the over-foaming bathtub.
“So you’re just gonna give up? Are you…”
“There’s no other way!” She yelled and threw the bottles away. Some smashed into shards on the pristine white tiles while others didn’t. Elva flinched and looked back at her teary eyes.
“You think it’s easy? You don’t know how frustrating it is to watch your first love getting snatched away without being able to do a thing! Even with all the power and influence I have, I’m still helpless to do a single thing!
“I’m slowly losing my mind, El. There’s Arian, the Empire, the university, finding my family’s murderer. I can’t risk Arian getting involved! What if the murderer who’s out to end me goes after him as well?? I won’t be able to bear it if anything happens to him!” She trembled from too much tears.
Elva restrained herself and pulled her into a warm hug when her tears became uncontrollably. She reached behind and switched off the running tap before the overwhelmed Empress added a flooded bedroom to her list of problems…
***
Because of the double suicidal stunts Arian kept trying, Mom Rose had him locked him up in the room next to hers for intense watch.
Crazy??
No one had the right to call her son that!
She pushed the trolley containing his dinner into his room and the special guards recruited to guard the young master from harming himself, closed the door behind the Madame of the manor.
The aged butler Lee who had served the aristocratic family for decades was sitting beside Arian De’ Argent, reading him a book even though he was asleep.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take it over from here.” She said. The butler stood up and bowed before walking out.
Mom Rose quietly sat beside her pale son and fondly touched his hair. Arian felt the change and weakly blinked his eyes.
“Mom?”
“Pumpkin, how are you feeling now?” She smiled. He sat up slowly, groaning in pains.
“What happened?” Arian rubbed his head and the wet towel fell off in the process.
“You have a fever. You weren’t thinking straight but nothing serious happened…. or will ever happen.” She promised as a light flashed across her eyes.
“You’ll be fine. Come and have your dinner.” She smiled again and passed him a glass of apple juice.
Arian didn’t feel hungry. No, he couldn’t feel most of his body, least of all his stomach. But he didn’t want to upset his mother so he forced himself to take a sip.
Mom Rose’s expertise eyes noticed his intentions and forced the entire glass down his throat. He hadn’t eaten in two days and needed a proper diet. Then she pushed a brownie into his reluctant mouth.
As she tried to feed him another one, Arian turned his face away and drank some water. A few drops spilled because of his hot, unsteady grip.
“Pumpkin, is there anything you wanna tell me?” She gently touched his hair as he leaned on the headrest.
Arian didn’t say a word. His eyes were focused on his trembling fingers which were fumbling with the glass cup.
“You know you can tell…”
“She broke up with me.” He whispered. “She officially broke up with me.”
“Oh pumpkin.” She pulled him in for a hug and he leaned on her right arm.
“Please don’t pumpkin me. It’s the real deal. Natalia broke up with me.” The first tears fell.
“Shush, it’s gonna be alright, okay?”
“Nothing’s gonna be alright. My life’s never gonna be alright again.”
“Arian.” She whispered softly fighting her own tears. This wrecked soul wasn’t her son. It didn’t belong to him.
“I’ve lost her mom. I’ve really lost her…”
***
( In The Middle of Nowhere.)
A dull lightbulb in a secret room flickered unsteadily. In a corner of the eerie room, pictures, pieces of newspapers, magazines and journals were attached together with glue and threads on a white board.
The Master, or more preferably, the notorious Mafia Don stood before this setting with an icy smirk. He had more than enough reasons to as most of his targets were permanently out, crossed with a bright red paint.
All except one!
Jackson Pierre, his most loyal henchman walked into the room and bowed in subservience.
“Don, we just got word that the Empress is secretly on the lookout for us. She’s hot on the trails of our least ranked and considerably gaining on them. What are your orders?”
The Mafia Don shifted his cold gaze to the picture of the famous Empress Alexis which occupied the middle of the board, wearing the stunning evening dress from the anniversary.
He slowly ran a slender finger down the contour of her delicate face and chuckled. Jackson was tempted to raise his head. He was righteously stunned as he had never heard his master show excessive amusement before… And softly on top!
“She badly wants to find me?” He settled with a smirk and whispered softly to the lifeless picture. “Don’t worry, we’ll definitely cross paths soon. Sooner than you think because I desperately want to meet you too.”
Then he turned around sharply. Jackson quickly lowered his gaze in submission.
“Send an untraceable e-mail to her.” The subordinate raised his head confusedly.
“Master, mind if I ask why?”
The Mafia Don walked over and stood under the dull, flickering light, revealing his face.
“It’s almost Christmas, right?” He asked. Jackson nodded and stood up straight.
“Since she’s so curious about my identity, why not give her an early present?” He smirked, which rivalled that of the devil’s and Jackson returned it…
***
( Beverly Hills, California.)
“How’s it possible? No one has information about my private email except a few of you.” Natalia snapped.
“And I’m in charge of all your public accounts.” Elva added. Jake faced Natalia’s laptop his way with a calculating look.
A strange mail had popped into her laptop some minutes ago while she was at work and triggered her uncertainty.
“Have you opened it? Do you know what it says?” Naomi curiously asked.
“Do it.” Natalia ordered and leaned over. Jake was sitting and she was standing behind him. He did as he was ordered and four bold numbers written in red popped up.
Natalia slowly stood up straight and backed away.
“Is this some silly quest? What does it mean?” Naomi walked closer to him.
“The Mafia Don knows we’re after him. So he’s either trying to mislead us or give us a clue.” Jake answered.
“For some reason… those numbers seem really familiar.” Elva squinted thoughtfully.
“Because it is.” Natalia finally said and everyone turned to face her. But for a single second, she didn’t move her gaze away from the large portrait that consumed over half of the wall in front of her.
In the archaic painting, the two men wearing ancient clothes were standing so close to each other and smiling cheerfully at her cold face, like her grave countenance was some kind of joke.
Natalia turned back to meet their puzzled faces waiting for an answer.
“The period when my ancestor, the first Emperor of Astheria, Don Pablo Santiana banished his old friend, Don Grantino Rodriguez was in the year 1499…”