POV: Lianne
I felt uneasy when we parted after our tour. The next time I would see Ruen would be in Fortville City and the hours without him, I knew, would be torture.
He said that he would visit Mr. Rafael in the main city to talk to him about something, but he didn’t tell me what.
I kept my worries at the back of my mind. It was Alona’s birthday today after all which was why I should wear a smile and a pretty beach dress.
At twelve noon, my friends and I arrived in the Morlave Restaurant. The restaurant had a cool atmosphere, playing reggae music and with decorations like those in a fiesta. Banderitas and coconut husks and shells were everywhere. The building itself looked like a mixture of Asian and Moroccan style. It emitted a welcoming aura and with a mixture of sophistication.
We headed to our assigned seats and almost immediately, the food was served and it was damn so good. The manager offered us a bottle of complimentary wine, Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, as Alona’s birthday gift to which she immediately recognized as one of the top wines in Rhone, France.
The liquid tasted really good as it hit my throat. Bitter-sweet in taste at first but heavenly in the end. It was so good, I almost wanted to ask for a bottle more, but then Jen reminded me of its whopping price on the shelf. We all laughed heartily in the end and then proceeded to celebrate her birthday with a few reggae dance.
“Hey, Li!” Alona caught my attention when I purposely sat down back on my rattan chair to rest after minutes of dancing.
“Yeah? What’s up?”
She sat down beside me and saw her scanning something in her purse.
“Here.” She handed me a white card. I gave her a questioning look. “I thought you might want to have this.”
“What’s this?” I took the card and flipped it to see that it was Cain’s business card. My eyes widened briefly. “Why are you giving this to me Al?”
“Well…” she pouted her lips and raised her eyes to look at the ceiling and then back to me. “He gave us his business card back in the cave parking lot, right? I noticed he gave me an extra one, so here, you might want to have this as a character reference in your resume. You know, having a CEO friend would help out in the job hunting process.”
‘Oh, Al… you just don’t know what you are saying, but I will give you credit for thinking ahead of your future endeavors.’
“Uh… uhm, thanks Al, ” I answered, trying to hide the hesitation in my voice, and gave her a warm hug. “By the way, Happy Birthday.”
She chuckled and hugged me back. “Thanks, Li.”
***
We returned to the mansion at two in the afternoon to finish up packing our things.
So far. So good.
Jen hadn’t asked me about the juicy info regarding Ruen and me, but I had a feeling she would do just that on our way to Fortville.
I scanned my room for the last time, mentally noting myself of what it looked like. This room held so many memories for me. Some bad. Some not so great. Some just plain bliss. But overall, I love the room so much, it ached my heart when I finally stepped out of its door.
When I arrived in the main foyer with my luggage in hand, I was in a sadder state. Never had I imagined leaving the mansion would create a feeling of emptiness inside me.
‘Ruen was right. My life is here.’
We rode the private bus of the Since Resort going to the airport. To my surprise, it was a silent thirty-minute ride. Jen didn’t try juicing me up at all.
When we arrived at the waiting area of the airport, there was a man that suddenly bumped into me. I noticed him very tall and he had a platinum white hair. He looked at me briefly and muttered an apology in what seemed like a mix of Russian and British accents.
I nodded and then he left with a small grin on my way.
Weird.
“So Jen, if I’m right, Roland also lives in Fortville right?” Rachel asked. They were sitting on a metal chair while Alona and I were standing in the back with our luggage piled up, waiting for the announcement of our flight info.
“Yup, he is. What a coincidence right?” she said happily.
Jen sure is happy with her relationship right now. I couldn’t deny that they clicked, and I am happy myself with that fact alone. She will be in good hands I know.
I scanned the area, looking from left to right. The terminal wasn’t as much crowded as compared to when we arrived here a few days ago. In the corner of my eye, I saw the platinum-haired man standing just a few feet away from me, standing there also waiting just like us. He didn’t have any bag or luggage with him though which was really odd.
After a few minutes of waiting, I heard and felt my cellphone beep and vibrate under my small handbag. I took it out and then pressed my phone to unlock.
‘What’s this?’
It showed an unknown number.
Without any doubt, I opened the message, but quickly awareness dawned on me as I read the message and the unknown number.
Hi, my princess! It’s been a while. A ‘friend’ of mine said that you are going home now. It seems that you are just with your friends. Mind if I ask for your presence beside me now?
Seriously? What is this man thinking? I quickly scanned my bag and took out a white glossy card. For some reason, I had a feeling Cain sent me this text message. As soon as I compared the numbers though, my suspicions were confirmed. They were exactly the same.
My heart suddenly pumped heavily when another text message followed.
I think you have met my ‘friend’. He is waiting for you. He is tall and has a platinum white hair. I would like to remind you though that he is not a patient guy.
My mouth dropped open. I cast a quick look at the man again and he was now looking back at me with a smug grin.
“Hey Li, you fine?” Jen asked, no doubt noticing my sudden anxiety.
I just nodded back at her and gave her a smile. “Uhm, something came up. I just needed to make a call. Will you guys be alright here?”
“Yup, go ahead. We are good, ” Jen replied calmly, but she was casting a suspicious eye on me.
I walked away just a few inches of distance from them, enough that they wouldn’t hear any possible unpleasant conversation. I dialed up the number and then I heard a ring from the other line. My palms went sweaty and cold with anticipation.
“Lianne, it is good to hear from you again, ” Cain crooned. It annoyed me instantly.
“You know damn well that I do not want to see you again. Why are you so sure that I would go with your friend to where you are?” I snapped. My fingers clutching the phone tightly against my ear.
“Ah, of course. Well then, there is always an answer to that. I could always threaten to kill Ruen if you will not come to me.”
I felt my lips quiver at the mention of Ruen’s name. Cain was threatening his life again. Dammit! I needed to be strong for him.
“Huh! If I have to base that threat, you are going to kill him anyway, as soon as you have me. There is no point in it.”
I hope I sounded firm to him. I was trying hard not to choke in front of the speaker. If he could see me now, he would immediately see my frightened and worried face. I knew it was already a dead giveaway.
He paused, and it was a full minute. I almost thought that he gave up, but then what he said next turned my stomach upside down.
“Of course, you have a point, my Sweet. There is another thing however that you need to know. I have the emerald necklace with me.”
I huffed a mocking breath. “You must be joking. You gave the necklace to me in the cabin remember?”
“I didn’t, ” he answered and I could feel his wicked grin on the other line. Damn him. “What you have is just a perfect replica of the original necklace. I had that made solely for you of course. After what happened in the past, do you think that I would let the necklace go when I know that it still holds power?”
Panic.
Sheer panic rose inside me as I heard him speak. Oh my God. The necklace he gave me is not the real one?!
But wait.
Another thought dawned on me.
Where was the replica necklace anyway? I am sure I placed it in Ruen’s bathroom in the rest house. I never get to wear it again and the necklace never crossed my mind again after that.
“You will come to me, Lianne. I know. I need to remind you however, my ‘friend’ is not a very patient man. You better tell your friends now that you will not be leaving Since.”