Julia leaned against the door, clutching her heart. Its thunderous pounding was awful. She needed to calm a little as she adjusted her eyes in the dark room.
"Julia, it's okay. Calm down and look for it." She heaved a deep breath several times, and finally decided to switch on the light.
Her eyes cocked with the sudden contact of brightness, making her eyelids shut for several seconds. Then opened them again. Forgetting about her anxious heart, she headed to the drawers of the bedside table. She rummaged through everything, but found none. The drawers and even shelves were as clean as his forehead.
With her hands propping on her hips, she bit her lower lip as she stared at the neat bed, thinking where he could possibly hide her stuff. For some reason, her ridiculous instinct kept her observing the bed, drawing her to it.
"Could he hide it under his bed?" She asked herself. "Why would he do that? Forget it. I better check everywhere than missing this chance. After all, that man is cunning."
Julia instantly examined the bed. She started inside the pillow, then under the quilts and sheet, and mattress, but still she couldn't find it. Frustrated, she leaned her forehead on the back of her hand and took a deep breath. She felt that she was going to collapse soon if she didn't do that.
Shortly after, she went on her knees, propping her hands on the floor, and peeked under the bed, only to find under was slightly dim. She squeezed herself inside, checking everywhere desperately on the bed panel. However, she still got the same results. The stuff was nowhere to be found.
She should have pushed herself out under that bed, but accidentally, her hand brushed something smooth on the floor.
She clutched it and brought it to the light with her, finding her hand holding an upside down photo.
Julia didn't have the habit of touching other people's stuff, but everything about that man piqued her little curiosity. So, out of interest, she flipped the photo to the front, and released it as soon as the image on the photo came into her view.
"It's him." She murmured, lips trembling as she shook her head, eyes starting to well up. "So it's him. He's just here all along."
A bittersweet smile drawn on her lips as tears rolled down her cheeks again. A part of her was happy that she finally found him after more than a year of searching. But the biggest part of her was bitter and in grief, as this only means one thing. Her worse fate was about to start. Even so, Julia couldn't help but chuckle. "See, I told you, sis. I'm able to find him. I can start to atone your sin, so that we can both rest in peace."
Julia picked up the photo again. A longing smile crawled on her lips as she caressed the exquisite face of her sister, Talia, hugging intimately with Ethan in the photo. They smiled all ears, full of bliss, and deep love could be seen in their eyes.
From the photo, Julia couldn't imagine how their relationship went down to Hell, and ended up ruining Ethan's life. It was all because of her sister, who betrayed him. But, as Talia's sister, she couldn't get herself to hate her. Instead, she wanted to compensate Ethan with herself. If Ethan wanted to enslave her in different ways, she decided to comply with his order, as long as it could appease his pain and hatred.
Julia was soaked up with her current emotions that she didn't hear or sense that the door was opening. Someone had entered the door. He didn't try to sneak behind her, he directly marched towards her with a gun in his hand, ready to shoot.
From the back of the intruder, Reynald could recognize who she was. He just couldn't understand why she sneaked inside Storm's room. This was unforgivable and a suicide in her part.
What if he was wrong about her all along?
What if she was just pretending to be an innocent girl and was actually another woman sent by the enemy? He couldn't forgive himself if something happens to Storm because of his negligence.
"Who exactly are you?" Reynald asked coldly, poking his gun on her head.
Julia was startled. Her body jolted from that sudden approach, heart fluttering like a hummingbird's wings. Then, her body stiffened. She neither opened her lips in response nor looked up to face him.
"Speak." Reynald grabbed her by her arm and threw her towards the bed.
Julia propped her hand on the bed on time before her belly hit the edge of the bed and turned around, sitting limply on the side.
"I'll ask you again! What on earth are you doing here? Who exactly are you? You better tell me the truth!" Reynald yelled at her, making her shiver.
Julia had seen Reynald several times in such a short length of time. But she had noticed that he was somehow not really a bad-tempered person since he lent her his coat. This was the first time he burst out with rage.
Julia stretched her hands on him, pointing at the face of the man in the photo. And with a shaking voice, she asked in return, "Where is he? Where is this man?"
"Where did you get that? You actually touched his belongings?" Reynald looked around him and killing intent flashed his eyes, seeing the tidy room turned into a mess, as if a storm just landfill and destroyed everything. His jaws moved as he roared, "I'll kill you!!!"
"No please, stop!!" Julia dropped to her knees as tears cascaded from her eyes like a waterfall. "Let me explain. I- I don't mean harm. I just want to retrieve my stuff." She sobbed, shoulders moving along. She sounded so genuine that Reynald couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. "P-please, tell me where he is. I-I need to see him. No, I have to see him."
"And what for? To harm him?" Reynald clenched his teeth. "I had no idea why I'm pitying you, but don't treat me like a fool. I won't tell you where he is. Besides—"
"Do you know who he really is?" Julia cut him off, making Reynald speechless. "In this world, I'm afraid, only me w-who knows him."
"Who do you think you are? We've been together for three years. I know Storm the most!"
"How about his real identity? Huh? The man behind that mask, do you know him?", asked Julia. This time, it caught Reynald off guard. He was lost for words to say. He indeed knew Storm, but he knew nothing about the man behind his mask.
Who is he?
Reynald frowned. He ran his eyes back to the man in the photo. He, somehow, found the man in the photo familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him. Furthermore, he became even more suspicious of Julia, but he also wanted to hear what she was going to say next. He spoke to her again with the same tone, veins on his neck bulging out. "I don't care who the man behind that mask is. Only I care about is Storm. Now, what makes you confident that you know him? Who exactly are you?"
Julia closed her teary eyes and emotionally said, "It's not important who I am. I only have to mention someone's name in front of him, and he will understand."
"Why should I trust you? You entered his room without permission. Who knows what you are planning to do?" Reynald said angrily. "But there is one thing I'm sure about. I won't allow you to harm him! Never!"
Julia opened her eyes, and chuckled bitterly as she looked straight at the man's eyes. "I have plenty of chances to harm him, just like last night. But I didn't do anything. Because I am just a weak woman. Trust me, he won't let me go once he learns my identity."
Reynald fell into thoughts hearing her words. He found her right. If she really wanted to harm Storm, she should not let Storm leave the club, unscathed. Besides, he noticed that Storm was acting strange towards her. Could it be… he didn't want to think about it anymore. However, if she would do a suspicious move again, he would not hesitate to end her life.
Reynald put the gun down and sighed, "If what you said is true, then you're wasting your time looking for your stuff here."
"Why? Where is he? Did he bring it with him? Did he sell it already?" Julia asked in tears. "No, he can't do that."
"Firstly, your necklace is not with him anymore. Perhaps, you just need to search yourself to be able to find it. Secondly, Storm had left. If you want to introduce yourself to him, then it's too late."
Julia suddenly ran outside the room before Reynald could finish his words. With a frown, he chased after her and found her searching for something on the old coat that Storm had used to cover her body when she was still in the wilds.
Since Julia couldn't find anything on the clothes she was currently wearing upon hearing his suggestions, perhaps, it was in the old coat. That was what she believed as she ran back to this room.
"It should be here. I believe him. He won't lie to me." Julia mumbled repeatedly as she slipped her hand inside the pockets. Her hope crashed instantly when she found nothing there.
She squatted down, bawling.
Reynald walked up to her and said, "Check all the pockets."
"I already did. How many pockets does this damn coat have?"
"How about that one inside?"
"What do you mean?" Julia looked up at him, showing her face covered with tears. "Is there a hidden pocket in this coat?"
"There's a pocket below the top collar."
With a shaking hand and hopeful heart, Julia inspected it, and to her surprise, the necklace was indeed there.
Her eyes rounded wide in disbelief. She brought it to her lips and kissed it longingly, as tears rolled down silently.
She immediately picked herself up and dangled the necklace in front of Reynald with her shaking hand. "Since the necklace is with me, why didn't he tell me when I asked him? What does he want?"
Reynald's eyes narrowed. "I can't read his mind. Only he can answer you. Ask him yourself."
"Then where is he? I want to see him!" She grabbed Reynald's arm, which he quickly retracted, as if afraid to hold her. "Please, tell me. Where is he?"
"I told you. He left. As for when he returns, only himself knows." Reynald eyes her up and down. "If you have the patient to wait, then look for him here after three years."
"No, I'm not going to wait." Julia stated firmly as she clenched the necklace in her palm. Her tone carried determination. "I'm going to follow where he is. So please, tell me his whereabouts."
"It's confidential…" Reynald hesitated. "And dangerous. I can't tell you."
"Please." Julia begged. "I'm willing to face the danger with him. I'm willing to die for him. So please, tell me where he is. I've been looking for him, I can't miss him this time!"
Reynald shook his head. "You're hopeless."