TIL WE MEET AGAIN

The sharp click clack of Caris stilettos sounded through the corridors of the vas Caris Art Hall. The walls were clinical white, broken by the rectangular cutout that offered a glimpse of greenery outside. her black blazer dress fluttering as she rounded the corners of the space.

She slowed her pace as she entered the main gallery, where the walls were lined with large expressive portraits.

She looked tired, or perhaps just bored.

"Hello, Ms. Caris," a voice said.

Caris didn't turn around immediately. Behind her two employees, a man in a sharp suit and a woman in a professional blouse approached with polite smiles.

"Our pieces are so luxurious, aren't they?" Caris remarked,

"Of course they are," the woman replied quickly, her tone with practiced enthusiasm.

"The director has quite the gorgeous eye for art."

Caris finally turned to face them,

"That's the issue," she said, her voice dropping. "This is so my mother's taste."

The male employee looked puzzled. "What's the issue with that?"

Caris gestured vaguely at the paintings surrounding them. "It's intimidating. When you look at these works, you feel like you have to be better, make more money, and wear expensive clothes." her eyes drifting back to the portraits.

"That sense of luxury is our art hall's mission," the woman explained.

"That's why our audience demographic remains limited," Caris replied, her frustration beginning to show. She gestured with her free hand, “I'd love to hold an exhibition that brings peace to its viewers."

The two employees exchanged a look, silenced by her unexpected candor.

A white car drove down a scenic road lined with trees and wind turbines in the distance.

Raven and Dorian walking together through a green field, and approached an area with small ponies.

They both rode bicycles through the fields, enjoying the open air

Later, they sat at an outdoor table by the sea, enjoying some seafood dish. Dorian gently touched Raven’s face, wiping her lips, and he handed her a tissue, which she used to wipe her mouth.

Dorian stopped and looked at her, and she met his gaze.

Dorian leaned in close, his hand gently cupping the back of Raven’s neck as they gaze into each other eyes, Their lips met in a lingering kiss.

Inside a room with white curtains, they stood close, kissing passionately. Their arms wrapped around each other as they moved together in the light, resting their foreheads against each other with breathless sighs.

Ravens hands reached up to unbutton his shirt. He slipped it off, letting it drop to the floor.

They moved to the bed, kissing deeply the woman suddenly paused, her expression changed

"Wait," she said.

"What?" he asked, looking down at her.

"I just remembered that we haven't showered".

"Oh," he replied, a look of realization crossing his face. "Can't we count that dive in the sea as one?”

She gave him a disgusted look

"Okay, hold on". He leaned back up.

"Stay right here", he told her.

she smiled, lying back against the pillows as he pulled away.

At a wedding hall, an announcement played in the background: "The wedding ceremony of Mr. Brian smith and Ms. Sheila holt will begin shortly. All guests should make their way into the hall and take their seats. Please wish them well through a warm round of applause.

Guests mingled in the lobby, while at a reception desk, the mother to the bride in a traditional attire spoke frantically on her phone. "Where in the world did Brian go?" she muttered in panic.

Meanwhile, a group of men in dark suits strode through the lobby.

Outside the stalls, the men used the urinals while discussing the situation.

"Do you think he ran off?" one asked.

"He wouldn't abandon his own wedding," another replied.

"Should we at least collect the congratulatory money?"

One of them clutched his chest in distress. "If we catch him, his kidneys,and heart will be sold off to collect his debt if need be,"

"Right, we'll do whatever it takes." One replied

Out in the stairway, the groom rushed down the staircase, confronted by his bride

"Brian!" she cried out as envelopes of congratulatory money scattered across the stairs.

"What's gotten into you?" she demanded. "Have you actually lost your mind? The ceremony is in five minutes!"

"Let's get out of here now," he urged. "If we don't, this wedding will become a funeral!"

"What are you talking about?" she protested as he grabbed her hand. "Hurry up!"

Back in the empty wedding hall, the bride’s mother wandered in, looking around in confusion. "What on earth? Where did she go?"

The men in suits rushed in behind her. "She's not here either," one reported.

"What's going on?" another demanded. "Where did they all go?"

The bride’s mother turned around to the men in black suits "Excuse me," she said. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Before she could finish, one of the men aggressively grabbed her by the collar. "lady, where did you hide your daughter? Where the hell did you hide them?"

"my goodness," she gasped, struggling. "Let go of me!"

With a shove, she fell hard onto the sofa.

"This bastard really fled," the man declared. "He took us for fools." He turned to his associates. "Don't just stand there. Tear this place apart!"

A young man gently helped the bride’s mother to sit down near a table. "I'll get you some water," he said.

Shaken and breathless, she clutched her chest, looking down at her phone where a long message displayed details about loans, savings, and cryptocurrency losses.

"Justin" she whispered.

The young man Justin turned around sharply.

"Shei..." she gasped, grabbing her chest before collapsing into his arms.

Back in the hotel room, Raven woke up while clutching her chest under the white duvet, then sat up abruptly as her phone began ringing.

She reached into her bag, and pulled out the phone, seeing "Justin" flashing on the screen.

She answered it. "Hello, Justin. What's up?"

"Raven! You need to come back right now," Justin voice yelled through the phone. "Your mom has collapsed!"

"What?" Her breath turned into horror washing over her face.

Instantly, Raven bolted out of the room, running frantically down the hotel corridor.

"Both Sheila and her fiance disappeared, the wedding is canceled," Justin’s voice echoed over the phone as she sprinted.

"Your mom collapsed from the shock. I am at the hospital with her right now, and they said she had a heart attack. She's in surgery now."

Back at the hotel suite, Dorian in a black bathrobe walked out into the bedroom, looking around but no Raven to be found.

"Raven?" he called out, his eyes widening in confusion as he stared at the empty bed.

He walking down the hotel corridor in a black shirt and jeans, he approached door number 2672. He knocked firmly.

"Raven, are you in there?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice. He knocked again. "You're okay, right?" When there was no answer, he turned and walked back down the hallway, stepping out onto the balcony to look down at the hotel lobby below.

He hurried back through the corridors and out the glass doors into the busy street.

Meanwhile, at a crowded airport terminal, Raven walked quickly through the crowd, while Dorian ran through the doors, searching frantically among the travelers. As they moved past each other against the crowd, a realization seemed to pass between them, though they kept moving.

At the hospital corridor, Justin sat on a chair outside the operation room. Raven ran up to him.

"How is she?" she asked breathlessly.

"We just need to wait for now." he replied, standing up.

"Justin" Raven choked out, tears streaming down her face. "I can't let my mom go like this. How could I when I never even properly treated her for all she has done for Sheila and I after dad died”

Defeated with grief, she dropped to the floor sobbing uncontrollably. Justin knelt down beside her, pulling her into his arms

"She's a strong Woman, She'll get through this." he whispered, resting his hand on her back

Later, A black car drove through a busy city street in traffic. Inside, Dorian drove while talking on his phone.

"Where in the world are you?" a voice asked on the other end.

"I've landed in Chicago. I'm on my way."

"How'd it go with Hassan?"

"I took care of it," he answered. "It seems that he also did a background check on Bennett zade. He actually thanked me for getting him out.”

"That's a relief," the voice responded. "I'll compile a list of developers who can replace him."

"All right," Dorian said. Then, pausing, he asked, "By the way, what were you saying yesterday?"

"Oh. About a kiss and souls? It sounded like a woman was involved." The voice replied sarcastically

"Forget it" Dorian sighed.

"Oh, come on" the voice teased. "You said it felt like an explosion."

Dorian snapped, while ending the call.

In the quiet hospital ward, the patient

Mrs Karen holt lay resting on the hospital bed, wearing an oxygen mask as drips hung nearby. Standing outside the glass window is Justin he looked in before turning to Raven.

he said softly. "I'll stay with her. You should go home, You haven't slept at all."

"No, I'm fine," she replied.

he insisted. "Her surgery went well, so don't worry too much”

"Okay," she murmured, leaning in to kiss her mother on the head before walking away.

At the hospital counter, she stared down at the bill showing an AMOUNT DUE: $256.

she approached the desk clerk and asked, "Is it normal for hospital bills to be this high?"

"That's just for her surgery," the clerk explained. "You'll be charged more for the duration of the hospitalization. We'll give you another bill for that when she gets discharged. For now, you just need to settle her surgery bill. You can pay by card, cash, or transfer. How would you like to pay?"

She stood in silence, her expression stunned and helpless.

Later, she walked alone down the sunlit wearing a green hoodie, her footsteps leading her to past familiar shops toward the old neighborhood.

A flashback echoed in her mind: her younger self, wearing a tacky uniform with a bandage across her forehead, standing under the tree with her father.

"Are you okay?" her father had asked, gently adjusting her bandage.

"Yes," little Raven answered.

"You saw them bullying Sheila and taught them a lesson?"

"Yes, I did," she smiled proudly. "I also made them apologize to Sheila."

"My goodness, look at you being such a good big sister," her father beamed.

"I'm going to become even stronger and protect you and Mom too."

"I feel so reassured, thanks to my daughter," he laughed.

The memory faded back to the present. she neared her home when a man in a black suit standing near the gate turned to look at her.

"Can I help you?" she asked warily.

"Ms. Sheila lives here, right?" the man asked.

"Yes, she's my younger sister," she answered.

"I'm from First Class Bank," he stated, holding out a document. "Ms. Sheila took out a home equity loan on this property, and her payment is overdue. At this rate, foreclosure will be inevitable."

Panicked, she pulled out her phone and tapped on Sheila.

“The phone you are trying to reach is turned off. You will be redirected to voicemail” the automated voice beamed .

"Sheila, have you lost your mind?" she yelled into the phone, tears welling down her eyes. "How could you put our house into loan sharks? If we lose the house, are Mom and I supposed to be out on the streets?"

Breaking down completely, she walked into her home while still on the phone "Mom collapsed! What in the world am I supposed to do?" She slammed her head against the table in despair.

She walked in carrying a bag of items, placing a ledger and documents down onto the white tablecloth.

Sitting down she opened the ledger, flipping through pages filled with calculations. The notes detailed utility bills, insurance, phone bills, supplies fees, total income, Staring down at the figures, Then she blurred into a memory of the ballroom where she danced in the light blue dress, her hands resting in Dorian’s palm adorned with a ring. They spun through the room, sharing an intense, close embrace.