"Let him steal me for a while," Anna said standing up as she pulled Jace out of the room saving him from the awkward moment she created to help her sister from the rain of questions her friend had planned for Rose concerning Jace's accusation. When they were outside, she unconsciously still held unto his wrist.
Jace looked down at the wrist which was held by his first and only crush. It created a pleasurable warmth around his wrist making him which she keeps holding him. He remembered the massage he thought he got from her in the private room and his already pink face became a light shade of red.
"I . . ." Anna began but stopped when she saw Jace's blushing face. She looked down at his wrist in her grip and immediately let go as though it was toxic burning the skin of her palm. "You look like tomatoes," She murmured under her breath finding him cute.
"I . . ." Jace began but dropped his head looking at his wrist with the warmth gone.
What the hell? She clearly saved him from an awkward situation and created a more awkward situation. What was the nonsense about tomatoes? She shook her head as she decided to visit the therapist after school. Why on earth will she associate a human being with a fruit?
"You . . ."
"I wanted to talk to you about the missing girl," she immediately interrupted when she saw the red-haired boy pass below through the window.
"I intended to tell you today. I found nothing. They left no trace. Whoever took her has to be a professional. I tried tracing them through the CCTV but they escaped somehow. The last place they got lost was in a remote area, the same area you got missing from the security cameras and the satellite. I asked my brother to help but he had being busy and he is no longer at home to help me."
Anna saw the sadness in his eyes when he said the last sentence. "It is okay. I just hope your brother returns soon and about the girl . . . I wish she comes back soon too."
"Be careful, those people are close by, it seems they are watching you. I thought about a way to lure them out but . . ."
"What way?" Anna asked happy about the new hope despite the downcast look on Jace's face.
"By beating up another girl, I know it is a crazy idea but . . ."
Anna shook her head strongly with no room for a second thought. "I will not send another innocent girl into their dungeon. I feel guilty enough that a girl went missing because of me. I will not repeat the same mistake."
"What if they come for you next time?" Jace asked now seriously considering that option.
"I will fight my way out. My close combat teacher was sent to us by your father so, I won't have a problem escaping."
Jace sighed but did not push the issue since his father had people watching Rose and Anna to prevent any accident. "I will keep watching out for them because they might return the girl soon."
"Yes. Thank you by the way," Anna told him avoiding his gaze.
"You are . . ."
"You stole my best friend you thief," Wayne shouted pulling Anna away from Jace with his hand around her shoulder.
Jace sighed. He really wanted to punch himself for not bottling up his emotion. He wondered what made his mouth slip out that accusation. His friends were obviously not going to let go of this issue and might him tease forever over it. He wanted to glare at Anna who started it all but he blushed deeper when he met her beautiful eyes.
"Who will I steal?" Debby who had being silent all along asked when she saw Scott walking towards them and ran to him before hugging his arm. "I will steal your friend," Debby said to Jace.
"Now she is stealing my best friend. All of you are thieves I am the only one not stealing," Wayne complained playfully when Rose called Anna to her.
"You are a thief too. You stole her sister. Scott is the only one not stealing here," Debby corrected him.
"Now, he is stealing you from me," Scott replied her when his eyes fell on where Debby hugged Scott hand.
"Excuse me," Scott said under Wayne's gaze and pulled her hand off gently but swiftly and found his place standing beside Jace. "I am sorry," he apologized in a low voice bowing to his boss.
"What did you guys talk about?" the two sisters asked in a chorus but shook their heads motioning to each other to talk first. They looked like they were performing a well-practiced choreography. "Nothing."
Rose sighed and waited for her sister to keep talking while Anna also waited for Rose to speak. "Are you keeping secrets from me?" another chorus and the two girls tried to suppress their laughter.
"If you keep your secrets, I will keep mine. I just wonder what is really going on between you and Jace's brother. I will only advice you to be careful because that young man has the most dangerous aura I have seen. You should be careful around him."
"If you really like Jace stop holding back," Rose paid for her sister's advice with her own advice and the two returned to their friends.
"Jace, did you know about my sister's project?"
"What project?"
"Fashion."
"Oh . . . that is the only subject we don't offer together."
"Really?"
"Yes. I wanted to see what you designed."
"Oh . . . I helped to make some adjustment to the cloth."
"Now you lied," Anna said walking towards him to launch her attack.
"I feel sorry for you," Wayne said out of experience.
"What project are you two talking about?" Debby asked feeling confused.
"Just an assignment," Jace answered as he waited for Anna to attack him since that will be a sign that they had gotten closer although he did not want to be her friend but he did not mind if she became his friend. He could always advance from friendship to a solid relationship.
"Yeah," Rose answered nodding her head. She did not want much people to know she was participating to avoid rumors since her foster mother was going to be a judge. "I am going back to class."
"Why? Are you not going to eat?" Anna asked concerned.
"No," Rose answered and walked away. What she needed at this moment was an alone time to think over what Jace's said. She was very tempted to tell him she wanted to meet his father she felt she could not trust them.
She took the steps to the roof top from the top floor. When she opened the door, she inhaled deeply with her eyes closed when the cool breeze hit her face gently blowing into her hair. Where was Mr. Hart in her past life? Where were they? Why did they not give her help when she needed it most? Why did she die so miserably when there was someone who could help?
The cold feeling of her warm tears cooling as they rolled down her cheeks and the breeze dried them up made her snap back to reality. She hurriedly cleaned her face with a determined expression on her face as she stared down now at the green that surrounded her close by and farther at the buildings afar off and the smiled.
This was all hers but she needed a little more time and trusting people easily was not an option till they proof to her that they were worthy of her trust and above all, she was the queen and a queen never begs for help. When she is sure she has something she could offer in exchange for their help, then she could bargain.
***
A young man dressed in black suit wearing a pair a gold framed sun glass stood few steps away from a car and waited while on of his subordinate opened the trunk of a car. There was a black suitcase in it and he motioned to them to open it.
When the suitcase was opened, the battered lifeless body of a girl was revealed and he nodded in satisfaction before gesturing to them to zip up the suitcase which they did immediately under his command.
"I want it to be left in a way those girls will know that Anna is not to be messed with," the young man ordered rubbing his hand in excitement. "Tomorrow . . . they should all see it tomorrow," he told his subordinates with a blood thirsty smile on his face.
Humming a tone, the young man walked back into his house and went to a room with a lot of computers. Sitting on a big leather chair in front of a set of monitors and other computer parts on a large table, he rubbed his hands with excitement after removing his sunglasses with a frown. His cold blooded smile returned when his fingers began dancing on the keyboard.