Panic clenched Filo's throat, mirroring Nurna's wheezing.
"Stay calm, Filo," she forced out.
"I can handle it." Ignoring the fact that Mr. Canaan was still on the line, she rushed to a cabinet in the living room, pulling out a little bottle and a syringe. She raised Nurna's oversized tee, locating her bare thigh.
"One, two, three," she muttered under her breath, injecting the lifesaving adrenaline. Relief washed over her as Nurna's frantic gasps slowed, replaced by ragged breaths.
"I'll be there in some minutes, don't call the emergency service," Canaan commanded before hanging up.
"Why is he so obsessed with hiding her? He never cared for anyone but himself," she muttered to herself as her fingers faintly trembled.
"So much trouble," she complained in a frown as she stared down at Nurna.
Like Mr. Canaan said, he arrived swiftly in a jet, alongside a team of 5 trained medical professionals.
Dr. Krayo had just finished a minor surgery on a government official's daughter when Mr. Canaan's call came in. His tone while he received instructions from Mr. Canaan was polite and respectful.
Filo shook her head when she saw the chaos happening outside just because of an allergic attack. She had only seen Dr. Krayo on the cybernet. He was a man who wasn't available to the masses, yet Mr. Canaan got him out of his schedule without notice.
"She's no longer in danger, can I take my leave now, sir?" the doctor in his mid-50s inquired from Mr. Canaan with a bow.
"Hmm," Mr. Canaan grunted. Dr. Krayo's back lowered even further before he then walked away. Soon, the entourage of medical practitioners retreated from the living room. A bus was already prepared outside to take them back.
"I wonder who that lady was for Mr. Canaan to care so much, his child? He's always unusually calm, this is a surprise."
"Why would you think that's his child? That gorgeous lady should be in her mid-20s."
"But we don't know Mr. Canaan's age."
"He's can't have a child that age."
"Perhaps his lover?"
A clearing of throat interrupted their discussion.
A NDA agreement will be emailed to you soon. You tell, and that's the last thing you'll ever say," Dr. Krayo made clear.
The bus immediately went silent. They knew what Mr. Canaan was capable of; they've seen it, they've heard it.
"Your parents were very conscientious in every order they carried out."
"Don't talk about my parents!" Filo yelled like a disagreeing teenager.
"Pack up the most important of your things; you'll accompany Nurna to my place; you'll be her assistant," he commanded in an unbothered tone.
"And what if I don't want to? Do you think you can just boss people around because you have everything? Do you think I have no aspirations in life?
"Are you getting so cocky because I spared you?"
"Because you spared me?" Filo chuckled, her voice laced with mockery. She didn't know where this daredevil feel was coming from.
Probably from the frustration from the canceled show or how people had always looked down on her.
"You can go ahead and kill me, like you did to my parents and their parents and their parents. I'm tired of being a glorified servant; just kill me already."
"Then die," Mr. Canaan said calmly, before walking towards Nurna.
"Ka shi wa( Let's go home)," Mr. Canaan said in a solemn tone; it was almost a whisper, with his hands stretched out. That sense of deja Vu plagued Nurna once again.
She was still scared of him, but she had an instinctive urge to take that hand.
She slapped his hand away and folded her arms, looking away. Though he spoke her language, she didn't like that he was mean to her first friend around here.
"Apologize," she commanded in Lestkan.
Mr. Canaan glanced at Filo like an offended puppy.
"You'll get a fashion show and a manager and a store."
"Really?" Filo's eyes widened as her whole dentition came out in display.
"Pack up; we leave in 15 minutes."
Filo sped into her room, her grudge temporarily dissipating from her body as she ran to her room. Kil is probably holed up in his shady, dimly lit room gaming, every connection to the outside world cut off. She dropped a message before rolling out a medium-sized suitcase.
Nurna went to Filo and held her hand, dragging her the way she had dragged her earlier. She packed the clothes she modeled, and Filo helped her put them in a little bag.
Nurna stepped out of the house for the first time after she woke up. She went to the orchid. Crouching down slowly and gently, she stretched out her arm to rea g out to the little white bunny. The bunny walked into her arms and her starry eyes twinkled with mirth.
The sky was now dark, with the sponges of water taking on a dark blue hue as the stars shimmered from above them.
Nurna's heart pounded frantically as she saw the colossal jet before her, a sleek giant dwarfing any object she'd ever seen. It stretched into the night sky, a million tiny stars its only competition.
When she saw Filo casually walk towards it, a knot of apprehension tightened in her stomach, frightening size frightening her.
Filo beckoned to her as she climbed up the stairs. Uncertainty flickered in Nurna's wide eyes, mirroring the distant stars. She looked back and saw Mr. Canaan closely behind her.
"Scared? I could get a carriage," he expressed in Lestkan.
She scowled at him as she sashayed towards the metal stairs with her head held high. Her right fists clenched into a tight ball as she climbed higher up the stairs, holding her new friend securely in her left hand.
The interior of the jet was a beauty to behold.
Plush carpets of exquisite wine color swallowed the sound of footsteps. Overhead, curved panels of polished mahogany mirrored the vast expanse outside the windows. Cashmere throws draped invitingly over the plush seats. Tiny recessed lights twinkled, casting a warm, inviting glow. Gleaming gold accents traced the walls, catching the light like scattered emeralds. The air in the jet held a hint of refreshing, citrusy perfume.
She sat close to Filo, by a window, and the jet soon started.
A nervous giggle escaped her lips, excitement and terror in a heady mix. Taking a deep breath, she looked out the window as they gradually left the ground. She was totally mesmerized by the view outside the window; it was like stars were just around them.
Canaan peered at her, deep sadness in his features. Now that she's coming into his world, it's only a matter of time until things get really grave.