Why would he try to propose to her when she had not even fallen for him? And why is this lady threatening her life? She just wants a quiet life, away from all these dangerous people of the city.
Sniffing back softly, she picked up her bag which had fallen down on the floor, then stood up and walked toward the sink.
After washing off the remnants of tears that had streamed down her face, she carefully dabbed her face with a tissue then covered the left side of her face with her hair, to hide the cheek which had turned red from the slap mark.
Walking out of the washroom, her eyes wandered around and she started walking toward the entrance in unhurried footsteps with a sigh.
Just as she was about to reach the glass doors, her eyes landed on the figure who was walking toward her in large strides and she swallowed deeply.
"Clara, are you alright?" Carl asked softly as he stopped in front of the girl who was staring back at him blankly.
He sighed inside, then continued calmly. "Clara, about this, it was all a mistake, I didn't plan to___"
"I want to go home," Clara muttered expressionlessly while clutching tightly to her bag.
Carl sighed again and stepped forward then tried to hold her hand. "Clara, please listen... " he trailed off as the girl suddenly walked past him, then he hurried behind her.
Clara sighed in relief, seeing that the guests and even the reporters had already left, remaining only the securities.
She quickened her footsteps as her grip tightened on her bag, however, the guy had already caught up to her.
"Let's go," Carl muttered softly then attempted to hold her hand again and she stepped to the side, slightly putting a distance between them.
Carl gazed down at her with another sigh, then started walking toward his car while she slowly followed behind him.
After she entered the car, Carl closed the door then walked to the driver's side and also entered.
His eyes darted to the girl who was now staring out of the car's window then he sighed again and started driving out of the hotel.
The car ride was silent as Clara gazed out of the window with a blank expression while Carl would glance at her now and then.
"Clara..." He softly called out after some minutes then sighed inside again after receiving no reply from the girl.
Several minutes went by before the car finally arrived in front of the estate gates which were instantly opened by the securities and he drove inside then parked the car in the parking area.
Clara opened the door as the car immediately came to a stop and she walked out of the car then started walking toward her apartment. She suddenly paused in her footsteps, sensing him walking behind her.
Carl also paused and watched her back with another sigh then took a step forward. "Clara__"
"Good night," Clara muttered under her breath and continued walking toward her apartment while trying to sniff back the tear that had already streamed down her face.
Carl painfully watched her back until she had disappeared into her apartment. He stood there for some minutes and after a while, he slowly turned back to his car with a deep sigh and drove out of the estate.
*****
After walking inside her bedroom, Clara dropped her bag while biting her lips as she wiped the tear that had trickled down her face.
Her gaze darted to the drawing tablet on her bedside table and she sighed inside then changed out of her clothes and walked inside the bathroom.
After a while, the bathroom door opened and she slowly walked out and dried her hair then changed into her pajamas and walked out to the kitchen.
She came back later with an ice pack wrapped in a towel, then walked toward the mirror and sat down on the chair then started pressing the towel on her burning cheek.
Many thoughts wandered in her head as she stared into the mirror in a daze and after a while, she dropped down the towel feeling that the pain had subsided a little.
********
__ The Next Day __
** Lin Mansion **
Inside a large bedroom, a girl was curled up at a corner with her head buried in her laps while her back was pressed against the wall, with many wine bottles sprawled in front of her, across the floor.
The tiny lights that simmered through the closed curtains were the only sign that the sun had already come up and was shining brightly outside the window.
Small sounds of knocks which came now and then are the only sounds that could be heard inside the large room, accompanied by the slight sobs of the girl who had been in that position for several hours now.
"Viv?" A soft voice came from the door after the knocks had receded and you could hear the soft sigh of the woman who had been standing there for a while now.
"Viv, you need to come out... please," the woman pleaded again with the same soft voice, however, the girl did not move and continued sobbing silently on the floor.
______
Outside the room, the woman drew back her hand from the door with a deep sigh, while wondering what was wrong with the girl as she had come back yesterday with a tear-streaked face and had even locked herself inside the room.
She just hoped that her daughter would come back to her senses very soon. 'Poor girl.' She sniffed softly then slowly wiped the tear that had trickled down her eyes.
She knows how her daughter had been infatuated with that boy since they were young, however, she also knew the pain of living with a man who doesn't love you. She sighed in relief, thinking back to what happened a few days ago and what her husband had said about terminating the talk about the girl's wedding she sighed again knowing that it was for the best.