Melissa opened her eyes, her head still pounding. The previous day was the strangest and most absurd day of her life. She still couldn't believe anything that happened. First the nightmares. Then, the mysterious man, she still could vividly see him, standing at the caffe wall, looking with his deep amber eyes directly at her, disarming her from the inside. Pulling her towards him, like a whirlpool sucking the ship that was her into his deep gaze.
To top it all, she almost got killed. Shivers still running down her back just to the thought of the ripping and dismembering sounds. 'What was all that about? Who were the attackers? Who was the man of the café? Or what was he? "He can't be human... can he?" She though. "How strong can someone be to rip someone … or something else apart, like tearing a piece of paper".
How did the man got to the train? she hadn't seen him when she entered, but again her mind was elsewhere. There were too many questions, without answers as her head began to hurt again. She pressed her middle and her index finger to her right temple to ease the pounding. Deciding to make sense of everything later somehow. Standing up and setting her web of thoughts aside if only for a moment. She needed to deal with Rembrandt first.
Melissa Ashford was born on a rich family; her parents owned a company that dedicated on art bids and imports. Paintings and sculptures were sold on auctions for millions of dollars. Melissa never wanted anything to do with the company and after her parents' death. Still too recent in her mind her grandfather took charge of everything, her parents' company, her assets, even her life.
They flew to America to attend one of their auctions when the plane had a malfunctioned and went down. Plunging in the middle of the ocean. Their bodies were never found, and after searching for days. They were declared dead.
On the backyard of the manor stood two graves. She knew they were empty, but that never stopped her to visit them from time to time and to talked to her parents. She always found comfort, whenever she found the courage to visit them.
Today was a gloomy day, the rain outside was light, not even a sun ray was entering Melissa's window. "Mel. are you awake?" the sweet but decisive voice of Anastasia was calling her from the other side of the door.
"Yes, Annie come in," said Melissa sitting on the bed with her back against the bed rest.
"I brought you fruit salad for breakfast, and your never-failing morning coffee". Said Anastasia while placing the tray on Melissa's lap.
"Thank you, Annie," Melissa muttered while grabbing a piece of watermelon. "Annie, I will visit my parents' grave today" Melissa continued, her heart, longing, and aching; letting her know it was time to talked to them again. The woman nodded in silence and added.
"Sonya called, she's coming to visit later today", said Anastasia while taking a black suit from the closet, a long white sleeve shirt and a pair of thick heel boots for the rainy day, starting to place them carefully on the bench that was connected to the food rest on her bed.
"Annie when did you started working with my parents?" asked Melissa eating a grape and looking at Anastasia with guilt on her face. Even though Anastasia was always there for Melissa, little did she know about her. Melissa's years passed on a flash and for some reason she couldn't remember anything from her youth.
"Well..." the woman said while taking the clothes from the hangers. "I've been always with you; your parents were busy people, and they didn't have time to look after you. Between the galleries, travels, and the bid shows, they were always away. So as soon as Mariannette got pregnant. I started working with them. I took care of her during her pregnancy, and I helped her deliver you. Your mom gave birth to you in this house, since then I've been with you.
Melissa didn't remember that part, she only had memories since the day she learn they died. She will never forget the day that; Flavio came with the devastating news. It was a week after Melissa's sixteen birthday. She couldn't remember anything before that. Every time she tried to remember, the headache will come along and she had to take medications for it and forget about trying to remember.
"I still can't remember anything before that" said Melissa with watery eyes.
"The shock of the news were too much for you, you cried so much that you fell ill, the doctor came to see you. When you woke up you didn't remember anything before your sixteen birthday". Said Anastasia.
"Yes, I can't t remember anything from my life before my sixteen birthday. But I really wished that I could forget about my parents' death. Is still too painful" said Melissa while tears were coming out of her eyes. Her sobs got louder, and she started to gasp for air, the pain was unbearable, still vivid in her almost nonexistent memory. Anastasia hurried up to her side and took the tray off Melissa's lap, hugging her, holding her tight while caressing her long black satin hair.
Anastasia said in a calm and warm voice. "Go through your feelings, the heart is never wrong, all the answers that we look lay in there. Maybe your memories are blocked but the heart is wise and knows, the answers and clues that sometimes we search for far and wide, are deep within ourselves".
Anastasia always new how to comfort Melissa, every word that she spoke to her were always the right thing to say. Even though sometimes Melissa didn't understand them completely, her mere reassurance and presence always comforted and soothed Melissa. "Thank you, Annie, for always being here with me". Said Melissa pulling apart for the embrace to look at Anastasia's light almond eyes.
Anastasia smiled and cleaned Melissa's tears from her eyes with a handkerchief. "I will always be at your side. Never forget that". She said on a reassuring tone that immediately made Melissa feel better. "Now take a bath sand go visit your parents. They are waiting for you to visit, I'm sure that will make you feel better". Said Anastasia while standing up to get the bathtub ready.
Melissa fixed herself, and got up from the bed, while undressing she asked in an indifferent tone, "What about Rembrandt?".
"Mr. Rembrandt will be here after dinner" Anastasia replied, looking and Melissa. To continue in a 'do not care' tone. "He will go over the documents with you and you will be finally free".
Melissa gave her a wary look and she proceeded to go to the bathtub. "Annie please, make something delicious for Sonya today ". Melissa changed the subject while getting into the hot water. "She almost never come all the way here to visit and I think is the most we can do for her. I'll be back before lunch" Melissa finished, closing her eyes, inhaling a long breath trough her nose, and releasing it through her mouth to ease the tension.
She finished her bath and got dressed, went down the stairs, this time turning right to get to the kitchen to go through the back of the manor. Walking through the dining hall, passing by some rooms that were never used, and entering the kitchen. Anastasia was already there "Melissa I will go out with Flavio to get some ingredients for lunch".
"Okay Annie", please give my good mornings to Flavio for me".
"Absolutely" said Anastasia grabbing the long raincoat from the hanging spot behind the kitchen door.
It was drizzling, Melissa grabbed an umbrella and started to walk through the long garden, which surrounded the whole manor making a 'U' shape. She kept walking passing the garden, going through the walking path inside the long and beautiful 'forget me not' flower patch beds. The flowers extending all around the manor always gave Melissa a welcoming felling.
She stood in front of the tombstones where her parents were 'symbolically' laid to rest. They were two grey marble gravestones, with the epitaphs that read: "Until we meet again". Three big Blue Orchids flowerpots were placed on each side of the graves, framing them, and giving them a sense of beautifulness while hugging the gravestones on each side. "Flavio planted and took care of them since the tombstones were placed there". Melissa though. The grayness of the sky didn't opaque the deep royal blue color that the flowers had.
Standing there with tears in her eyes, she stared pouring her heart out. "Mom, dad, sorry I haven't been here lately. I don't have any excuses for that. I just know that you will never get mad at me for not coming to see you. You are always with me anyways, but today I needed to come and visit you …
…I've been having nightmares lately, and I don't understand them. I feel that someone is lurking in the shadows and watching me. I was with Sonya on Sunday, and I saw the most perfect, handsome, and beautiful man I have ever seen. He felt like a dream like a salvation to all these nightmares that I have been having lately...
…Rembrandt and I had a discussion and I decided to come back to the manor that day on the train because I can't stand him," She paused. "I'll have to leave the company in his hands, is too painful for me to take care of everything you left behind, even me.... Ah! …" she continued pouring all the grief in her heart.
"Also, something happened yesterday, even though sounds crazy and unreasonable. I know is real. There were this beast-like monsters that tried to kill me when I was on the train. Even though the train was full of people, they acted like nothing was happening. One grabbed me by the neck, almost killing me". She reached her hands to her neck. "But someone saved me..."
Melissa stopped talking at that moment, feeling a shiver ran through her spine. She turned around quickly and then she saw him, all dressed in black, and finishing the look with a long black coat. His amber eyes were curtained by his semi long jet-black hair which had water droplets on it, like small pieces of diamonds. His strong and perfect face features were welcoming, a sensual sense of desire that was pulling her once again towards him.
"Hello Melissa" he said, and she remembered that voice. That same velvet voice, a sensual tone that resonate in every single fiber of her body. She was a seaweed, entangled in a coral reef and he was the strong current that pulled all of her being towards him.
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Every chapter is being proofread and updated, slowly but surely. Feel free to comment about them.
Thank you for your support :)
JAlmodovar