POV: Lianne Dievin
“No…” A choked cry burst out from my lips as I covered my mouth with my hands. I looked at my mysterious man, Ruen, with thorough concern enough to create beads of sweat on my temples. My breathing doubled. I was hyperventilating, as if no oxygen was filling my alveoli. I could feel my pulse bounding like crazy too, so tangible under my skin.
I glanced at the finger inserted on the trigger and I immediately shook my head.
‘Please don’t move. Please don’t move!’ my mind chanted.
I longed to see this man since I saw him in the library. There were so many questions I wanted to ask; answers I wanted to hear from his mouth. I certainly don’t want him to die so soon.
However, surprisingly, this new man who called himself Cain somehow knows something too. As to how and why, that’s something I want to find out too, but then again, if he was this much of a willing would-be murderer then talking to him would be the last thing on my mind.
I couldn’t deny I was actually more worried about the mysterious man than with my own welfare.
But then, all manner of balance I have seemed to fly out of the window. I felt dizzy, really dizzy, my mind seemingly floating up with the clouds. I stared at my palms and noticed them pale and cold.
“Do you think that by killing me, you’ll have her for yourself?” I heard him ask and I directed my attention to him. Briefly, I saw a glimpse of worry on his visage when he looked at me, but then it changed to anger when he set his eyes on his counterpart.
“Killing you will erase her memory of you, that’s for sure, ” Cain answered with a snort. “And after that happens, I will fill her up with all of me. Your existence in this world is not needed anymore.”
This man really does hate Ruen so much that the thought of murder is just minuscule for him. But how could he be sure I’d fall in love with him when that happens? Huh, he certainly is an overconfident man.
“If I was unable to kill you in the past, I will have the pleasure of doing it NOW!” he continued.
I was beyond alarmed upon hearing what he said. My heart skipped a large beat as if it was leaping out of my chest. On impulse, my hand stretched towards Ruen just as I yelled his name on top of my lungs.
Then I heard the gloomy sound of the gun ringing throughout the entire room.
“NO!” I cried out, but then I felt my heart skipping another beat again and another… and another… and then my eyes blurred and I fell on the mattress back first.
There was darkness everywhere. I couldn’t see anything… couldn’t feel anything except for the sound of two more gunfires being released.
***
“We have run some diagnostics on her and she seems to be in stable condition, Miss Jen. She just needs to stay tonight for observations and if she’ll not show any more symptoms, then she can be discharged, ” the lady doctor explained thoroughly while flipping Lianne’s medical chart.
“Thanks Doc, ” Jen replied, her nerves easing a bit. “I’m so glad to hear that she’s fine now.”
“Right, so, I will be going now. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
The girls nodded while the doctor sauntered out of the private room.
“Ah! Wait Doc!” Jen shouted abruptly when she remembered something.
The doctor stopped right at the threshold and turned to look back at her.
“How about the man’s condition? The one that the medic brought together with Lianne?”
“Oh, that man?” the doctor arched a brow. “He’s got two gunshot wounds, one on his left shoulder and the other on his left thigh but strange as it seems, he was ambulating as if he doesn’t have wounds at all! The attending physician told him he needs to stay three more days for observation, but he left against medical advice. We weren’t even able to take his name at all. Maybe Miss Dievin knows who the man is, so can you kindly ask her about that when she wakes up? We just need his name for patient record-keeping actually, as his medical bills were paid already anonymously.”
“Anonymously?” Alona clarified.
“Yes. We don’t know who paid it, but the billing section is not complaining, so that’s it.
“Oh, I see. So, he’s not in the hospital anymore, ” Jen replied. “Anyway, thanks Doc. We appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“Alright then, see you in the morning.” The doctor excused herself and finally exited the room.
When they were left alone, Rachel and Alona both glanced at their friend sleeping comfortably in bed.
“It seems she had a vasovagal syncope, ” Jen explained as she sat down on the single sofa chair in the private room.
“Is it that bad of a condition?” Rachel asked worriedly.
“The doctor says there’s nothing to worry about, so I guess it’s not a serious problem. I guess we will just have to stay here for the night. I don’t really mind it but you two should rest in the mansion. Why don’t you go ahead and I’ll be the one to wait here for Lianne.” Jen positioned a throw pillow on the head part of another rectangular sofa chair across hers. It was going to be a long night, and she does plan to get her beauty sleep for her date tomorrow with her new boyfriend.
“Would that be okay Jen?” Rachel asked. “Tomorrow would be your fifth day staying at the resort, you and Lianne should have been making memorable memories by now before you leave the resort.”
“We’ll make do Chel, ” Jen replied, giving her a smile. “Well, being in a hospital is one memorable memory to keep though.”
Alona picked up her bag and proceeded towards the door. “Alright then. By the way, do try to ask Lianne the name of the man when she wakes up and I will also try and ask Madame Brenda to look into the guestlist for his name.”
Jen nodded. “I’ll do. I guess we don’t need to worry much about him. It seems he is doing just fine despite those two gunshot wounds.”
Rachel who was listening to their conversation suddenly stepped in. “Whoa! What a mysterious man indeed. He is one heck of a guy.” But her brows cringed in a questioning manner when she remembered something. “But the guy I saw the other night in front of Lianne’s room was a different person.”
“Oh no, do you think he’s the one responsible for those wounds?” Jen commented with wide eyes.
“It is possible, ” Alona stated matter-of-a-factly. “Whoever those men are it’s only a matter of time before the Since police would know their identity. It’s up to us now to make sure our friend here wouldn’t enter in this kind of conflict again, because it seems to me, these men might like the same woman… and unfortunately, Lianne here is at the receiving end.”
Jen chuckled lightly. “You know what girl, you sound like my mum and Sherlock combined.”
Alona threw her a long look. “You’re silly Jen! Who wouldn’t be worried? It’s not like it’s common to see your friend sprawled and unconscious in bed in a very important chamber of the mansion with her blouse unbuttoned and with a man lying on his own pool of blood wounded with gunshots!!”
“Calm down Alona, ” Jen rolled her eyes heavenward. “I get it. Sheessh, you really do sound like them.”
“Don’t forget that Lianne is covered with kiss marks. That would make our theory more plausible, ” Rachel added. In response, both of the women looked at her.
Rachel now stood at the edge of the bed, her attention pinned on Lianne whilst lifting the white sheet that revealed five reddish discolorations situated all around her neck and chest area.
“Oh my…” Jen blushed and placed a hand on her mouth.
“From the looks of it, these are freshly made, ” Rachel pointed out and then directed her attention to her sister, “Well sis, “I’m pretty sure the word you used earlier… was it “like, ” doesn’t really fit well with these men. I’d wager…. the word ‘love’ would fit perfectly.”
“Or maybe lust, ” Alona retorted, growing worried with the welfare of her friend.
All three of them fell silent and with a red hue clearly visible on their cheeks.