Kaiden walked into the room after leaving to get some snacks for Kailani, but she had already fallen asleep. He sat on the edge of the bed, his soft eyes trailing her from head to toe, then he held her hand, squeezing it gently.
“I knew something was off when that bitch entered the class on that ugly day," he thought. “The energy felt different. She had your voice, your face, but she didn't have your heart. I wish I had pointed that out, I wish I could have looked her in the face and told her she was not my Kayla. How could I? She bloody had your face and there was no way you would be two in the world with striking resemblance,” he paused as she stirred. He patted her arm gently and she relaxed again.“I'm deeply sorry, Kayla. The second time you need me and I wasn't able to help you. Even Mom couldn't. We all couldn't, probably because we didn't know evil exists to that extent. You'll heal perfectly, okay?” he said with a warm smile appearing on his face.Eureka dragged her suitcase down the stairs, carefully descending to avoid falling. Her gatekeeper took two other boxes and landed first before she followed. “Go get the twins’ bags too,” she ordered him, running her finger through her hair, removing some strands from her face. The little carriage was making her sweat, so she dabbed her face with a handkerchief. “Be fast, please. We don’t want to miss our flight now, do we?” she called out.The gatekeeper returned without the twins’ bags. “They aren’t ready, ma’am,” he told Eureka.Kaiden and Kailani appeared on the inner balcony, looking down at their impatient mother. They were dressed in casual outfits, not looking ready for any journey.“Where are you going, Mom?” Kaiden asked, his hands on the handrail.“Is that supposed to be a joke?” Eureka snapped. “We’re going back to Gisborne. I’ve told you about this for the past week, and you’re not dressed yet. You said you’ve been packing.”
Kailani sat on the stool in Kaiden’s room, her back leaning against the table, a novel titled LIFE WITHOUT YOU stuck between her fingers, her eyes glued to the page she was reading. She didn’t notice when the door pushed open, Kaiden walking in. He stood by the door for a long minute, staring at her, his hands shoved into his pants pockets. He had something important to tell her; he wasn’t sure of her reaction, so he hesitated and thought it through. As Kailani stretched her stiff neck, her eyes caught Kaiden.“What are you doing there?” she asked.A warm smile crossed his face as he closed the distance between them. “I was just watching you read. Didn’t want to disturb,” he said.“Since when do you start disturbing me? Anyway, I’m almost done with the novel, so it can wait,” she closed the book and put it down on the table. “Do you want us to talk about something?” she asked, standing and walking with him to the couch.Kaiden rubbed the back of his neck. “Y-yes, but it’s kind of hard
A week later. Eureka walked into the gazebo, holding a tray with two goblets of red wine. She placed the tray on the table, handed Melissa a glass, then sank into the chair opposite her. They both sipped it, setting the glasses down.“Still haven’t gotten a new housekeeper?” Melissa asked, tucking some strands of her hair behind her ear.“I’m still contemplating. I don’t trust anybody with my family anymore,” Eureka said. “If Mildred, of all people in the world, could betray me, then there’s no good one out there. Besides, my stay in the States is numbered, so I don’t mind doing the chores for now.”“Are you really going to leave for good?”“For my peace of mind, yes,” Eureka affirmed, sipping her drink again. “This country has done its worst to me and my family. I want to take them far away from here.”“And Raymond?” Melissa asked. “Will he go with you guys?”“I don’t have any business with Raymond. The only privilege he’ll get with his kids is knowing their
Kaiden sat on the bed in his room, buttoning his purple and white striped dress shirt. His wound was gradually healing, but he still felt a bit sore at the spot. Hissing, he began folding the sleeves of his shirt. He heard someone grabbing the door handle and struggling with it.“Kaiden!” Kailani shouted from behind the door.“Shit, hold on a bit,” he responded, pulling down his sleeves to cover his wound. He wasn’t sure how she would react if she saw him injured from a bullet.“What are you doing? Open up already,” she whined.Kaiden rushed to the door, unlocked it, and twisted the handle to open it. The moment the door revealed Kaiden, Kailani threw herself into his arms, making him stagger as she enveloped him in a tight hug. He spun her around, despite the stretch he felt from his wound. Stetson closed the door behind him, leaning against it and watching the two.“Let me go first!” she groaned, pulling away from him. She felt lightheaded but didn’t care. “You were supposed to call
Heart pounding. Feet shuffling. Shoulders drooped. Eyes aching, begging for no more tears. Melissa wiped her tears with the back of her hand, took a deep breath, then grabbed the door handle and opened the door. The AC welcomed her with a chilly breeze, teasing her skin softly. She closed the door gently, heaving a sigh of relief. Her head turned from one corner of the living room to the other, scanning. Everything was just as she left it, but she wasn’t the same as when she left. Something twisted in her stomach as the scene of Eureka dropping the gas lighter on Cassandra flashed across her mind, tears threatening to fall again.“Don’t, Mel,” she cautioned herself, voice low. “She deserved what she got. Imagine her coming for me and my son if she isn’t dead?” she dreaded, her head dropping to the floor. She spotted a stain of blood on her big toe, recalling when Kaiden had dropped to the floor, shot.“She deserved what she got,” she reminded herself, chanting it like a mantra several
Cassandra started shooting wildly, taking down the three guards. She stepped on Raymond’s injured foot, making him groan as Melissa ran for cover behind the crates. Eureka pulled Kaiden aside, pressing his back against the wall. She tore his shirt, using it to wrap his bleeding arm tightly.“You’ll be fine, son. I love you,” she said softly, pecking his forehead.“Don’t get hurt, Mom,” Kaiden warned. She smiled warmly and nodded before stepping forward to face Cassandra.Seeing Eureka, Cassandra pulled the trigger. Eureka crouched just in time to dodge the bullet. Cassandra was running low on ammo. Before she could grab a bullet from a fallen guard, Raymond grabbed her leg, yanking her hard and forcing her face down onto the floor. She grunted, kicking out wildly and pushing Raymond against the crates. Some crates fell on him, drawing a sharp cry from his lips.“How dare you touch my son?!” Eureka growled.Cassandra reached for the gun again, but Eureka charged,