CHAPTER 2 - Theodore

Aurora opened her eyes at first, and it was blurry. She closed and opened them again, and only then did her sight begin to come back to normal. She had been knocked unconscious by an unknown person.

She wasn’t in pain, though; whoever had knocked her out did not want to inflict pain, maybe.

Realizing her surroundings, she quickly rushed to her feet.

She wasn’t in a room like the ones she had seen moments ago; it was a prison-like room. There were steel bars, a big single window at the back, and a large mirror-glass wall that looked like it sealed the main entrance. One would have to open the big mirror-glass to get to the bars and then into the room.

She looked around and didn’t find anything like a bed or chair. This didn’t raise an alarm to her because, from what she knew, kidnappers put their victims in a room with either a chair or a bed, or both. If there were none in the room, it could only be that she wasn’t kidnapped.

What then could she be doing here? How did she end up here?

                                                                             

“Humm... Hello?” She called out, noticing the CCTV at the right front edge of the room. “Is anybody there?” She waved both hands in the air, trying to get the attention of whoever was watching.

Theodore got into the mansion and headed straight into the living room. The servants came close to take the suit he pulled as he walked, but he signaled them to go back. He walked to his room and hung his suit, noticing something was off, he glanced around and took a big sniff. A few seconds later, a knock came in.

“Come in, Luke.” He sat down on the sofa, removing his accessories.

“Welcome back, young master.” Luke greeted with an expressionless face, his eyes not meeting Theodore’s.

“Care to tell me why I smell a human in this room?” Theodore looked at Luke, putting his wrist watch on the table, “Let me guess, that’s why you are here.”

“Yes, young master,” looking at Theodore, “Indeed, a human was caught entering your chambers, but the situation has already been taken care of.”

“And the intruder?” Theodore asked, taking off his sleeve.

“Locked up,” Luke answered.

“Wait outside, unless you want to watch me while I freshen up.” Theodore stood up from the sofa.

“I will be right outside the door, young master.” Luke turned around and left the room.

A few minutes later, Theodore came out of the room, putting on long pants and a white T-shirt.

“Take me there.”

“So, it’s a girl,” Theodore said, as both he and Luke stared at Aurora through the big one-way mirror-glass door that closed the entrance of the door. The door was one that only the person outside could see the person inside.

“Yes, young master, a girl.”

“What was she doing in my bedroom?”

“We have not clarified that yet.”

“Why?” Theodore asked.

“I know you can see me,” Aurora shouted from inside the room, at the CCTV, “you better let me out of here right now or else, I will tear this whole place down. I mean every word.” She pointed right at the CCTV as though she was sure that someone was watching her.

“Because of that, young master.” Luke answered, looking at Aurora, “She has been threatening us a lot; I just thought to give her a chance to show what she was truly made of.”

“What is she doing?” Theodore asked, seeing Aurora trying to climb the steel bars.

“Well, that’s new,” Luke answered, looking at Aurora as though he were watching a movie.

“Is she…” Theodore asked as he saw Aurora climb the steel bars toward the CCTV.

“Climbing? Yes, she is.” Luke answered and pinched in between his eyes, wondering what kind of human he was looking at.

“This is interesting; I surely want to see where this leads.” Aurora’s act amused him. It seemed funny to him, as his lips twitched at how a petite-looking woman in pants was handling her ‘kidnapped’ situation. A brave but all the same funny act, he thought to himself.

Theodore found himself smiling, obviously entertained by this stranger. He flinched when she almost missed her step, as though he was scared that she would fall.

Luke wasn’t sure what he should be worried about: the stranger who thinks she is brave enough to find her way out of a well-sealed room, or his young master, who was smiling uncontrollably, fully entertained by the funny act this stranger exhibited.

“I can’t believe she climbed up only to scream at the CCTV, what? She thinks we would only hear her once she comes closer to the camera.” He chuckled. Then he laughed, “Her threats, though.”

Just then, Theodore felt a warmth in his heart; it felt pleasing and strange all at once, followed by a fast heartbeat, and he touched his chest when he noticed it, as he suddenly was now focused on this sudden feeling.

“Young master, are you okay?” Luke asked, seeing Theodore’s sudden switch in attitude.

Immediately, one of the house servants came in, “Young master, Miss Ingrid just arrived in the mansion and seeks your attention in your chambers.” She said, not daring to look at Theodore’s face.

“It can’t be,” Theodore said to himself in silence, and with a smile on his face, he proceeded to walk out and meet his visitor.

“What about the girl, young master?” Luke asked.

“Let her be,” Theodore looked at Aurora, who was still screaming at the CCTV from where she was hanging off, “Seems like she is having fun.” He then looked away, focusing on meeting his visitor as he walked away.

If what just happened to him was what he had always been waiting for, then he was indeed going to be so happy. He has been waiting for this for a long time.

A sign, something to show that Ingrid was his, and he finally got it.

Seemed like the wait was finally over, and it’s just a matter of time until the next step is taken.

No, it was going to be now, not later, not tomorrow.

Now.