It's been a week since the worst tragedy of her life happened. She's been looking at her grandparents faces inside the caskets every single day. They were lying peacefully as if the world was never cruel to them, her on the other hand, she felt the world, left her nothing but an empty heart. They were her lifeline, and it's as if her life stopped when they died.
"Adrielle, come with me honey, let's eat. You haven't had a proper meal since this morning" Alicia took her to the refreshment area and left the helpers to entertain the mourners of her grandparents.
They kept the wake as private as possible. Only few selected people-close friends of her grandparents were allowed to see her grandparents for the last time and were requested to sign a confidentiality agreement.
They didn't disclosed the case to the public. The case progress smoothly while unknown to the world. She preferred it this way and she knew this is what her grandparents wanted too. But she could never have done this without the generosity of the Woodsens.
"Here" Alicia placed a cup of chamomile tea in front of her "Drink this, it'll help you feel better"
She nodded, both of her hand held the cup on the table, intensely looking at the liquid inside it, as if it could answer all of her queries. After awhile she raised her head and set her eyes towards the lady in front whose busy getting food for her.
"Ma'am?" Catching Alicia's attention
"Alicia" Alicia corrected and faced her with a smile
"Alicia, why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" She asked her back
"Everything. I mean, I am a stranger. You don't know me and I knew a little about you too. Why would you help me? Why are so kind? What if…I'm a wicked person…?" She can't look straight into Alicia's eyes while stating her sentiments.
The moment Thygo brought her to the Woodsen Mansion, they treated her so well that she started to wonder what made her deserve this kind of favor from strangers. They even volunteered to cover all the expenses for the wake of her grandparents
Alicia never left her side. She personally catered her needs though they have dozens of helpers in the mansion. She insisted to cook food for her and feed her. She was like an instant mother to her. That made her miss her grandparents even more.
Lucas frequently visits her too. Bringing her flowers and chocolates, insisting that these came from his brother, though apparently, they're not.
He kept on venting how indifferent and cold Thygo towards him, and how he kept on scolding and treating him like a kid.
According to Alicia, Lucas being at home everyday lately is rare sight. Both would kept her accompanied.
Alicia gently lifted her chin so that their eyes could meet "Do you know eyes can
communicate better that our mouths? You're not wicked. I know. And besides if you're wicked, you're an empty handed wicked with no resources as of the moment." She paused and sigh
"My son is more wicked, with resources, money and power. What can you do to us if we have him on our side?" Alicia laugh to her own conclusion "Kidding, I'm just trying to make you laugh" she added
It's pretty much true. She learned that Thygo is a notorious businessman. He took over their business empire at the age of 21 after his dad died. He battled with emotional torture and social criticism at the same time.
After taking over their business at a very young age, he was bombarded with doubtful eye and endless criticism. In business, sharks are everywhere, waiting to attack their prey, drown them and tear them apart.
But his adversities made him ruthless, cold and frigid but it didn't stop him rising on top. As a matter of fact, he went above and beyond everyone's expectations. He became unstoppable. He's not afraid of sharks, instead, he caged them, tamed them and crushed them if necessary. He's an epitome of success.
And that, kept and made her wonder, why, Thygo, the formidable king of Business, the most sought after bachelor in the Country would helped a no value woman like her.
Since the day Thygo saved her, she never actually felt ruthlessness from him. He carries intimidating gelid aura but he was never rude to her. In fact despite of his cold gazes, she felt nothing but warmth from his eyes.
"Somehow were the same" Alicia's tone became more solemn suddenly "I lost my first and only daughter" she sadly smiled and sighed "She's my eldest. Atasha. She died in my arms without seeing the world"
She remembered Thygo talking how Alicia wants to have a daughter.
"I'm sorry" she murmured penitently
"Nah, it's been a long time my dear and besides after having Thygo and Lucas, I've been whole again." Alicia smiled but it didn't reached her eyes. "They're stubborn most of the time but obviously they can't say no to their loving, conceited mom." She said lifting up the vibes
"Thank you Alicia" Alicia tap her shoulder and caress it, the she smiled again, sincerely this time.
"Excuse us, ladies" Their moment halted when Thygo spoke
"Why do you always need to ruin our moment son?" Alicia gave him a glare while her on the side, held her smile after hearing Alicia's sentiment but swallowed it when she figured that a pair of unfazed eyes was looking at her.
The man behind Thygo chuckled "I know Thygo is not sorry, but I am aunt Alicia" he hugged the lady and then extend his hands to her
"I'm Aisaac Ashton Lee, Thygo's friend" she reached for his hand and gave him an astounded look "I know it sounds surprising, but yes that vicious man has a friend" she followed his gaze and saw Thygo holding two flutes of wine
"Drink" Thyago pass one glass to his friend. Aisaac took it and sweetly smiled.
"By the way I handle your case, I apologized for some delays"
The man in front of him doesn't look like a detective but a rather a hunk model who freshly came out from men's cover magazine.
She smiled weakly "Thank you Mr Lee for your efforts, thank you for catching the culprits"
"That's our job and we shouldn't take our guard down just yet, we still don't have a lead where their leader is hiding"
Aisaac paused then had a glimpse of Thygo who's calmly savoring his wine then he returned his gaze back to her "Aisaac, you can call me Aisaac, and by the way, would you mind if I take for a coffee date some other time?"
"You bark like a dog Ashton, Can you just stick to your main reason why here-your job?" Thygo interrupted and gave emphasis to his last two words
"Thygo!" Next Alicia chided his son
Aisaac let out a loud laugh "Easy bro, it's just Ms Adrielle looks like a nymph and I'm not immune to her charm" He goofy remarked
Thygo stood up "I don't like wasting time, I need to go back to the office"
"Office?" She asked
"It's 9:30 pm, bro" he exclaimed and laugh again
"Shut up!" Thygo growled and left the room
Adrielle and Alicia looked each other. Then they heard Aisaac chuckled
He enthusiastically faced Adrielle "That ogre will bring you to my office after your grandparents burial, we need your statement to strengthen the case against those criminals. Let's work together on this Ms Adrielle. Let's find justice for your love ones" he spoke in a more civil tone and smiled then kissed Alicia on the cheek
"I'll take my leave" he left the room and followed his grumpy friend
"Kids" Alicia shrugged, shook her head and mumbled
After having light dinner with Alicia, they went back to the wake room. There were few cops in the room, they greeted her and gave their condolences, maybe they're Aisaac's colleagues.
"Adi!" Lucas called her "How are you feeling?" He asked
He was drinking beer with Aisaac in a corner. She scanned the room before walking towards the two good looking men. Thygo's no longer in the room. 'Maybe he really went to his office or went home, he looked pissed when he left the refreshment area' She thought
"I'm feeling better" she smiled.
"Care for a drink?" He raised his beer
"I'm good. Thank you" she refused
"By the way, Ms Adrielle, I'd like to inform you that…" hesitation is apparent to his voice "that your uncle requested to visit your grandparents wake. Thygo doesn't like the idea but I think it's necessary that the decision needs to come from you" he smiled softheartedly
She press her lips as she heard his statement. Her heart is clenched and her angered aggravated. There's a conflict between her heart and mind. She doesn't know how react once she sees her uncle.
The horrendous incident was still fresh in her mind, she kept on dreaming about it, and tried to cast it off but it kept on lurking on her memory. She was silently crying every night, vigorously scrubbing her skin when she's taking a bath as if it'll wash away her awful experience while in the hands of the gang leader.
Her uncle offered her to his boss as his payment for the million dollar he stole.
She was taken into another room, separating her from her grandparents. While still blindfolded and hand tied, two women gave her a bath and clothed her with a revealing dress, a strapless silk dress that flows down 2 inches above her knees.
She was drugged, though the drug wasn't strong enough to take away all of her senses, it was enough to take away her strength. She tried to fight back and escape but it was useless.
Then she was tied on a bed, she felt rose petals was scattered all over her and on the bed, and a scented candle was lit somewhere inside the room. She can't see but she knows. Her nostrils particularly hated that scent.
No matter how romantic that set up was, she felt nothing but disgust.
She heard someone entered the room few minutes after the 2 women who attended her left "Finally" a man spoke as she heard the door closed. She can her nearing footsteps and lustful intermittent laugh.
In split seconds, the man is now sitting on her tummy, she can feel his weight on her abdomen, his one hand clutching her jaw and the other was gripping her hair tightly, causing excruciating pain on her scalp.
"I'll kill you!" She gathered enough strength to talk and warned the man in a cold tone
"Pleasure me first" the man whispered on her ear.
The next thing she felt was his filthy hand crawling on her tight. The man lifted her dress up to her waist leaving her underwear exposed. Her hands slowly tracing the hem of her undies while dropping soft kisses on her neck. A tear dropped to her cheek. She felt exasperated, not just towards the man taking advances on her but mostly towards herself for being pathetically helpless.
She doesn't know how the two elder was able get away from the eyes of the gang members but she has a feeling that their son's guilt saved them. She was saved by her grandparents just in time. While the man was busy marking her scapula, when her grandfather deliberately thrashed the man with a steel from behind that knocked him out. Her grandma freed her hands from being tied. That's when they started escaping from the warehouse where they were kept as captives.
"Adi!" She got back to her senses when Lucas tapped her shoulder.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up" Aisaac apologize
"No, bring him here. After all, he's their son."
When there's a conflict between heart and mind…. Pause. Weigh. And follow what's right.