Thygo requested to clear the area and assigned more officers to surround the place. It's the last day of her grandparents wake and the day of her uncle's visit. Her uncle together with the two officers had just entered room, there's no one other than them inside. His uncle is now standing in front of the two caskets but she can't see his reaction.
She's been standing at the entrance of the wake room since her uncle's arrival, hesitant to step inside.
"You shouldn't have allowed this request if you're not brave enough to face him"
She startled by Thygo's voice. He was now standing next to her.
"It's not a matter of being brave or whatsoever. I'm just doing what I think is right. I know my grandparents loved him regardless of what he has done. And to be honest I'm not frightened, I'm disgusted"
The moment she stood at the entrance and saw the figure of that devil staring at her lifeless grandparents, she has been trying so hard to control her anger. But no matter how hard she tried to compose herself, she kept on losing to her vexed heart.
She was taken aback when her clenched fist was forcedly opened by a strong warm hand. Thygo held her hand and intertwined it with his hand tightly.
Her eyes instantly land on their linking hands. She felt a strange-sort of electricity the moment their palms met. She unconsciously look the man standing confidently next to her.
"You don't need to waste time on garbage like him. He needs to see his parents but you don't need to see him, not yet. Face him when you're ready." He spoke
Then he pulled her towards his car. His assistant was standing next to it but instead of asking Andrew to drive, he asked him for the key and open the passenger seat.
She gave him a questioning look.
"Get in" he demanded and looked at her intently
After her eyes met his, she lost all strength to argue with him, she entered his Aston Martin DBS and sat inside awkwardly.
"I'll bring you back here before the day ends" he assured her before starting the car's engine
She nodded, after that, silence took over. It didn't took long when she fell asleep.
Thygo was about to speak when he discover that the girl who was reluctant to enter her car earlier is now sleeping comfortably on his passenger seat. He stopped the car at the side of the road and looked at her helplessly while slightly pinching the bridge of his nose
"What am I doing?" He asked himself
"You're the death of me Adrielle. What have you done to me?" He continued
Then he started the engine and drove again.
Adrielle felt her stomach grumbling after she woke up from a deep sleep. The car is now not moving and her chair has been reclined, it's probably the reason why she slept comfortably or just maybe because she been restless and sleep deprived for a long time.
She slowly opened her eyes and sat straight. She was stunned by the sight in front of her. A view that could instantly take one's breath away. They're few meters away from the edge of a cliff. The dawn is breaking in. The sky gradually loses its light. Purple, blue, amber, orange and pink started painting the horizon. She can see the city ground illuminated by the building lights, she momentarily forgot her adversities.
"You're finally awake" Her heart almost jumped out when she heard someone's voice.
She forgot that she's with someone and she's inside his car. Thygo is also lying on his reclined driver's seat. His eyes are closed and both hands at the back of his head.
For the first time she was able to study his goodly features well. He looked regal with his chiseled jaw and noble even in his disheveled hair. His lashes were long, dark and thick. She unconsciously bit her lips.
Her eyes stopped scanning when his subject abruptly sat up. "I'm starving. Let's go inside, the view is more stunning upstairs"
Her eyes thoughtlessly set on the rear view mirror and saw a structure behind the car. Thygo is now out of the car and went on her side to open the door for her.
"After you"
Her eyes dilated when she finally had a full glimpse of the structure. It was a two story concrete house, glass walled, accented with few hard woods and illuminated by tons of warm lights. You can see the furnitures inside, the bed, chairs, tables, chandeliers and other stuffs. It seems bare but beautiful and inviting. It solely owns the hill like a king's thrown, an accessory to stunning vast kingdom, the sky behind it.
"Where are we?" She asked without taking her eyes on whats in front of her.
"My home" he limitedly replied "come, the food is waiting for us" he said casually
She followed him inside his house, he left her in the dining area and went to the kitchen counter to get their food. The living room, dining area, bar counter and the kitchen has no division. There's an indoor pool adjacent to the dining area. Everything is made in concrete and wood. There's a very few furnitures that leaves the interior spacious and emanates a chauvinistic masculine vibes.
After few minutes he went back with two plates. One with one steak and the other has two. She unintentionally gave her a questioning look.
"Sorry, I'm hungry" then he placed the plate with one steak in front of her "If you want more just tell me, Annie prepared for five" she can't help but press her lips to suppress her smile. She was delighted to witness Thygo's sheepish side.
"I'm good thank you. Sorry for making you hungry"
He just nodded and start munching the food. He's probably indeed hungry, they left before lunch and now it's almost 7 in the evening. They silently had their dinner.
He took her upstairs after having their dinner and led her to his veranda. He left her there and said that he'll get something first. She's now dipping her feet in the jacuzzi attached to an infinity pool.
True to his words. The view is 2x stunning up here. The sky is now dark, few stars started appearing and the cityscape is also now fully illuminated by blinding lights.
The whole 2nd floor serves as his bedroom and office with bathroom, indoor closet and a veranda with jacuzzi and pool where she's now enjoying view.
Everything looks surreal and sudden. Not so long time ago, she was saved and left by the two most important persons in her life and now she's been under the care of strangers who showed nothing but kindness. She doesn't know what she have done to deserve this and this make her felt mix of emotions. Even Thygo who's aloof is warming her heart unconsciously.
"You drink?"
She looked up when she heard Thygo spoke. He's now on his casual plain grey shirt and black knee length shorts holding to flutes and a bottle of champagne.
"I do"
He sat on his wooden chaise lounge chair behind her and opened the champagne bottle.
"I don't know if bringing you here made you at ease but this place is my comfort zone, I feel relaxed every time I'm here, this place emits serene vibe that I can't find any where else" he explained
"I don't know how to comfort people. Unlike mom and Lucas or Aisaac, I'm timid so I thought bringing you to this place might help" he continued
Her heart bewildered for a moment when she heard what he said. She doesn't know what exactly is happening and it feels weird but it overwhelms her heart. Unknown to Thygo, the thought that he wanted to comfort her, comforted her already beyond reason and that, made her even more confused.
'Why would you comfort me? Why would you care?' She asked herself.
It's easy for her to read Alicia and Lucas for they're naturally warm and transparent but Thygo is indeed timid, distant and closed off.
"You're having nightmares while you sleep" He gently blurted out "I don't know if you'd like to share it but maybe I can help" he added
At first she hesitated. After what happened to her, she thought that spending time with a man alone would trigger her emotions, that she'd feel unsafe and furious but having Thygo near actually made her heart at peace. Heart trusted the man beside her as easy as counting 123.
She's uncertain if whether sharing it with Thygo would help or not but her hearts tells her to give in. She sighed.
"My uncle stole a million dollar from his gang leader and offered me as….as his payment" she stuttered while confessing. She stared at the bubbling water in front of her as if it'll give her strength and her best to speak calmly.
"The gang took me and my grandparents as captives. They took me in a separate room, cleansed me while blindfolded and handcuffed, they drugged me and dress me like a harlot. They tied me on a bed and the gang leader started…."
She place the flute on the jacuzzi gutter, she felt her whole body shaking, her wrath start clamoring inside her.
"He…he started harassing me" She can't keep her tears anymore. The hot liquid started flowing freely on her cheeks.
She was pulled by Thygo and hugged her without saying anything. Before digging her face into his chest. She saw his eyes fuming with wrath and jaws clenched with anger.
"I was saved by my grandparents on time, before he could fully satisfy his lust but it didn't make me feel less filthy. I feel so dirty. Worthless. He hunts me. I can feel his sordid hand on my skin every time I sleep. I feel horrible and useless but more than my dignity, the worst thing he have done was ruthlessly killing the two most important persons in my life. I wound never stop hunting that man until he rots in hell" she promised herself to avenge for them no matter what
"Sorry about that" he wanted to say more but chose to stay silent. Thygo being close to her physically, she can feel his heart infuriating. He caged her in his arms and she let him comfort her without words.
Beyond Adrielle's knowledge, Thygo already had clues of what happened.
While sleeping inside his car Adrielle was having nightmares, she kept on mumbling two phrases- to let her go and not to touch her. Thygo has a bad feeling about it, he wanted to wake her up be she looked tired and needed to rest.
He took his phone and called Aisaac, asked him to interrogate Adrielle's uncle, he doesn't care what ways Aisaac would use. He only wants one thing, the truth.
After few hours of torture, Adrielle's uncle spitted the truth, he instigated the plot to use Adrielle as payment to escape from his gang leader. They also have the sketch of their leader named Markus and they've been searching for him non stop. He clenched his fist after hearing Aisaac's report.
At that very moment he wanted to kill Adrielle's uncle and Markus. Those devils don't deserve to live. He wanted to tear them apart. He wanted to kill them himself. He ordered Aisaac to torture the man until he can no longer stand and speak.
The first time he laid his eyes on Adrielle, he felt the sudden change in his heart. When she fainted in his arms, she didn't looked wronged, but rather a goddess descended to earth, even on her tattered, stained white silk she looked regal and exceptionally gorgeous.
He tried disregarding his infatuation and kept on making himself believe that his just doing this as sort of charity or as for his conscience sake but the more he ignore it the more it hunts him down. He became more distracted and even his mother, Lucas, Aisaac and Andrew noticed his discomposure.
He didn't have a choice but to accept his fate and that comes with displeasure to anyone who have caused and would dare cause her pain.