Winfrey Mansion
At the Winfrey mansion, Markian was careful to avoid everyone and away in the green house.
Unfortunately for him, he had just 30 minutes left to himself before he is been requested for.
Whatever he says or does would reflect on his family’s reputation and honor, so he had to be careful of his actions this evening.
His game face has to be on for tonight, and he must act without sentiments for the crowd.
“Please… just listen to me. I was only following orders, you should know how Markian can get when he wants something done” Daniel tried to make Heather understand his helplessness, while Markian moved to the darkest part of the greenhouse to avoid being seen.
“I really don’t want to talk to you. Unlike some people, I’m busy trying to make sure everything is ok for Olivia’s arrival. I’m not trying to kidnap her or stop her from attending her own welcoming.” Heather stated pettily.
“Come on Heather, now you are just being petty. I wasn’t going to kidnap her, it was strictly consensual, or I thought it was… She said she wanted to leave town and I was only indulging her… “he replied but was interrupted,
“only because Markian must have said something to her or blackmailed her somehow. You know what? I’m just glad she changed her mind at the right time, cause if she hadn’t, you would have been in trouble if Mrs Luther had found out you had a hand in her daughter’s disappearance.” Heather reproved and walked away from her brother disappointed.
He really hates it when his sister is upset with him, it makes him restless.
Ok, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to have listened to Markian and followed his instructions without hesitation or caution, but he really wanted Livy to leave town with him today.
If she had followed through with the plan, maybe at this moment they both would have been in another town or even half way across the other part of the world together.
When Markian had told him about the plan and that Livy was on board with it too, he had lost all sense of logic and was going to do everything exactly as he was told to do.
Maybe, she really was meant for him and this was just a sign from the universe to bring them together, he thought.
Ever since he saw her two and half years ago, he had thought of her every single day.
Judy and Livy were on a business trip in Grenada when Livy first crossed paths with Daniel.
He was a source for the other party trying to bag the same contract Livy and her mother had gone to Grenada to acquire.
At that time, Livy only went with her mother because she didn’t have a choice and Sophy was in London.
Sophy was the brillant one and Judy loved to take her on business trips, but this time, she had a fashion show in London and couldn’t make it.
So, Judy had to go with Livy instead.
Livy had tried to at least relax and get a some fresh air since Grenada was such a beautiful place, but that idea soon turned cold when she was almost ran over by Daniel while he was escaping Judy’s henchmen.
There meeting was brief but her face wasn’t easy to forget.
5months later, he was sent an invitation to his cousin’s -Markians- wedding, were he met Live for the second time, but she didn’t recognise him.
He had relocated from Grenada -where he had been for 5years, trying to escape the tousle and huddle of running the family business- back to Minnesota after Markian’s wedding.
He had taken a job at Castlehill instead, which his father -Tion Winfrey- wasn’t very happy about.
He hoped that maybe by accident or by coincidence, he might meet the damsel who has stolen his dreams back in Grenada few months ago.
Her eyes hunts him every night. They were a pair of pure and clear hazel color, so much so that he could see her hurt and loneliness.
Even when she had yelled at him that night, her eyes were so soft they couldn’t hold any anger at all, just tears.
For 2years, he patiently waited, waiting for her to come to him.
When she eventually did, it was on her engagement night.
Even though it had been a while he had set his eyes on her, she was still the same, she hadn’t changed at all.
Her eyes still held those clear hurt and loneliness he had seen in them, and oh, how he wished he could just snatch away her hurt and loneliness and make them his, so she could be free and happy.
How he longed to see those teary eyes sparkle with joy, but it was late.
She has been promised to another.
Making her happy had became his dream until today, so when Markian had said that Livy didn’t want the marriage, he obliged without hesitation.
But she came out of her house today, with a soul piercing pain in her eyes as she pleaded with him in tears to take her go to the courthouse and get married to his cousin.
He wanted to ignore her -he really wanted to- and take her to the airport anyway, but suddenly, getting her to the courthouse felt like the only thing to do to make her happy.
If he knew he would be feeling this terrible pain in his chest right now, he probably would have left with her, with or without her consent.
She was married now to his cousin, she is now his wife, and this realization somehow increased the pain in his chest.
He combed his black hair with is fingers in frustration.
After 2years of waiting patiently and hoping that they both would eventually meet in a different light and situation, fate have played a cruel one on him.
He left the greenhouse and never noticed Markian was there.
Luthel Mansion
“You snub! Won’t you answer any of my questions? You’ve always been like this to me and I don’t know why. We used to be very close, you don’t tell me much but you did tell me enough. I miss those days” Sophy spoke sincerely.
“I don’t know what you mean by that. I’m more open to you than I am with any other person. You’re my twin afterall” Livy replied half-heartedly.
“So why won’t you tell me the truth?” Sophy questioned.
“What truth?” Livy inquired of her sister.
“Have you been in love with Markian all this years? Was that why you distanced yourself from me? Please tell me… you didn’t let me know when I was alive, at least you can tell me now” Sophy questioned continuously.
“Then you tell me one thing. If you tell me this, I’ll tell you mine. Does Markian have a hand in your death?” Livy boldly questioned, taking Sophy by surprise.
She didn’t know why she blurted the question, but she did and would really like an honest answer.
“You know what? You should be getting ready to go to the Winfrey mansion. I’ll just be… ” Sophy replied, trying to change the topic, and Livy knew this.
“Tell me… Does Markian have a hand in your death, Sophy? I need to know… You have to tell me please” she pressured.
“Why do you want to know something like that? You’re starting a new life, just enjoy it” Sophy replied instead.
scoffs, “how can I? when you are the reason I married him in the first place. I have to find out who planned and executed your murder. So tell me already, was it Markian?” Livy continued questioning, but Sophy would not say a single word.
“So, he had a hand in your death, I see… ” Livy concluded when she got no answer from her sister.
“Do you really think he would do a think like that? Does he strike you as such a person? Do you really think you’ve been in love with a murderer all this years?” Sophy questioned.
“Markian loved me so much, so why would he want to kill me? He is a good man… and soon he’ll will love you as much as he loved me. Trust me Livy” Sophy continued assuredly.
Phone buzzes.
“Hello?” Livy answered half-asleep.
“Livy, Are you sleeping? Get up fast and put yourself in order, you have less than an hour before I’ll come pick you from home to the Winfrey mansion. Hurry up!… What do I do with this girl?” Judy’s familiar voice sent waves of awareness all through Livy.
She had been sleeping since she got back from the courthouse, and lost track of time.
Her mother would be home anytime soon to take her to the Winfrey mansion.
So, she really is married to Markian, it was not a dream.
A trickle of tears ran down her cheek, and she wondered why she was crying.
She got up to fix her suitcase and pack a few clothes she might need before she would go shopping.
She put some basic toiletries in too, as her hands shaked and she weeped uncontrollably.
She thought of how empty the house had been since Sophy left, and once she leaves too, it would become almost isolated.
How would her mother manage?
She finished fixing her suitcase and sat down on the bed and looked around, as she took in the sweet smell of her room.
She would not be back here for a while, and it broke her heart that her memories here would soon slowly fade away.
She took the photograph frame of her, her sister and her mother that sat on her dresser, and held it close to her chest as she cried even more.
More than ever, she wished her twin sister was here with her today.