Inside a room in a building that was guarded by men in suits at the front door, stood Alicia, Lois and an unwanted guest.
By this time, Lois had told everything she knew about the visitor as Eric had informed her earlier. Alicia, who seemed to have enough problems already, had to cope with what would happen next.
- Come on, don't look at me like that ... let's let bygones be bygones. - Vincent said with that characteristic smile.
- ...
- I thank you for letting me in, but your attitude is like you're shouting for me to get out of here.
- ... What did you come all the way here for? - Alicia asked.
- Mnm ... well, I really came with the purpose of giving you something that I'm sure you'll like. - replied Vincent.
The two young women wondered what the man with the long silver hair was up to, but when they saw what he had put on the table, their doubts increased.
- What are those things? - asked Lois.
- Here is all the information about your criminal record, especially about the last thing that happened with your little friend.
Alicia was stunned by the micro USB that the man had placed in front of her and, next to it, a cell phone with the digital files of her file displayed on the screen.
- I know that putting information on this thing is obsolete now, but it's certainly safer... It's true! I still haven't explained to you what's on the smarthphone ...
- Are you trying to extort me with this? - asked Alicia with great seriousness.
- Of course not... Didn't I tell you that you would like what I was going to give you? - replied Vicent with a big smile and a sincere look.
- What ... do you mean by that?
- I'll ask for your attention for a while... In front of you you have all the records of your criminal life. The USB is the only external device that records all your history and, next to it, the web page of the Information and Security department of the criminal records of Spain. As you can see, the screen shows your particular record and an option to erase all its contents.
The explanation was obvious, just by pressing a button, Alicia could restart her life and with that USB she could use it as she saw fit. However, why was that man giving her this solution?
- ... How do I know that what you say is true?
- Come on, I was the head of DIS in Luesia, but I have some 'friends' who handle the data in the capital ... doing things like this is not entirely unusual in this business. - Vincent replied convincingly.
- ... What do you want for this?
- Straight to the point, eh? ... I'd like to chat more, but for today I think that's fine ... So, Alicia Enid what do you think? This will all be yours giving you a chance to start over, but I'd like you to do me a favor.
Both Alicia and Lois were expectant to Vincent's demand.
- Wait a minute, first I'd like to know why are you helping me now?
- You know what they say, yesterday's enemy can be today's ally, right?
After everyone had been silent for a few seconds, the man continued speaking.
- Look, what I'm asking you is not much... I just want you to tell me about that friend of yours with whom you came to Luesia.
The request puzzled the two young women, but more so Alicia, who did not want to involve Aren in her problems.
- W-What did you say?
- Tell me everything you know about him, it doesn't matter if you don't know much. For example, where did you meet him?
The request was not difficult to make and even that male induced the conversation so that the young woman would talk easily; however, Alicia seemed reluctant to do so.
Vincent noticed this, but incredibly gave another helping hand.
- Before you decide what to do, as a good faith agreement, he could take this with you and erase your entire record right now, plus keep the USB.
The young woman's conviction was doubtful; but she took those devices nonetheless.
- You don't need to be so suspicious, go on, do it... I have time.
Alicia did as the silver-haired man suggested and certainly saw that her data was there; the details, as well as the dates, were recorded.
She pressed the button and immediately all the files were deleted in about 30 seconds. Her record was empty; the young woman's expression seemed to fill with relief.
- So ... it's your turn, don't you think? ... what was your friend's name, Allen?
- His name is Aren. - answered Alicia who seemed to be starting to talk about her former companion.
- Oh, that's right...
- And ... I won't tell you anything about him. - Alicia stated forcefully.
Her determination had not been shaken in the end, therefore, Alicia prepared herself for an imminent confrontation. However, after a few seconds she noticed something strange, the man in front of her was still calm and smiling, as if he had already foreseen this situation.
- Hahh... too bad... Well, I'm leaving. - said Vincent in a childish tone.
- That's it? You're just going to leave?- asked the young woman confrontationally - What are you playing at!The man laughed.
- Make no mistake, one of my objectives was to apologize for last time, for what happened in Luesia, I hope you accept it. Besides, it's not like I can do anything.
Alicia wondered what she was talking about, but Lois knew well what she meant.
- Oh, you haven't told her? We are being monitored by the security cameras, although I must say that if they hid them well. Do you think they would leave the heiress of the Valdelomar family and her guest unprotected? - Vicent explained as he stood up.
- ...
- Well, I have to go ... there are other matters I must attend to ... Take care, Alicia. - the man said goodbye and left the room.
With no one standing in his way, the former DIS chief left the establishment in complete tranquility.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon, inside a large residence where the main door bore the letter B as well as the grille door on the outside, there was a family gathered at the table and chatting during their late lunch.
The maids and butlers were preparing and carrying the dishes; however, no one was eating yet, as they seemed to be waiting for someone else to come.
A feeling of excitement was in the air.
- This is really incredible... I didn't think it was really you who made the call," said a stout man. - said a burly, blond-haired, blue-eyed man with a neatly groomed hairdo and beard.
- Yes, usually calls like that are not to be trusted, but it's good that Alberto was able to confirm it with his own eyes. - said a woman of a certain age similar to the head of the family.
- Well, let's talk about it over lunch, but first, where is your friend? - asked the head of the household.
Five minutes before everyone was at the table, in a somewhat spacious room, stood a couple of open luggage bags on top of the bed in the room and next to them was a long-haired young man who had just finished changing his clothes.
Soon, the sound of the door being tapped lightly and the warning of a servant alerted the young man that he should soon go down to the dining room.
The young man sighed.
- I didn't think this would go so well. - he muttered.
Walking out of the room and down the stairs, the young man noticed the whole family who seemed to be waiting for him.
The young man soon sat down at the table and everyone began to eat lunch.
In the dining room were that couple who seemed to be close to 50 years old, two young women, one with blond hair and the other with brown hair who seemed indifferent to everything, a boy of maybe 12 years old and the young man who had just joined them.
- As I was saying, I was really surprised by that call, but from the beginning I could recognize your voice, Emily. - commented the older man.
- Yes, I also had doubts whether you would believe it was me ... but it was the only idea I could come up with. - Emily replied.
- But, it wasn't just your voice, the strategy for us to meet was clever enough. Although I had my doubts about sending someone to the hotel where you were, when Alberto heard the recording of the call, he decided to go.
- Yes... I am quite grateful. - said the young woman with a slight smile.
A butler old enough to his master's age smiled happily.
Remembering that day, in the morning, a young couple was waiting in the lobby of the Meson Hotel while watching the news. Suddenly, with great discretion, a group of men dressed in black and wearing long coats entered the lobby.
They quickly took a careful look around the place.
- Sir, are you sure about this? It may be a trap. - said one of the men.
- It might be, but, if it's really her, it's worth the risk. - commented a middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader of the group.
Suddenly, some children who were playing stumbled upon the group and with some trepidation quickly left.
The local people began to look at the men strangely. After a few seconds, one of the receptionists approached the group along with two assistants who began to question them.
- Excuse me, are you looking for rooms? Or have you made a reservation?
- No... actually we are waiting for someone. - replied one of the men who was trying to divert their attention.
- Someone?
While the receptionist and his assistants were getting in the way of the group's mission, the leader of the men in suits kept looking around, but saw no sign of the person he was looking for.
- Is it really a trap? I guess we should leave quickly.....
Before he could finish his mutterings, the old man saw how a young man with long hair had risen from one of the seats, leaving the view free to a beautiful young woman with blond hair.
The man's eyes opened in such a way that they became moist and tears fell down his face.
The rest of the group noticed this and were surprised to see their boss's reaction.
Without asking, the man walked towards the young couple without heeding the receptionist's warnings. When he reached them, the man gave the young blonde a big hug as if he were a father.The woman was surprised; meanwhile the boy had gone to the restrooms and did not notice this.
After a few minutes had passed, the young man with long hair and a beautiful countenance came out of the bathroom and could see a group of strange men around Emily.
The thought was obvious.
"What, so quickly they found us." Aren thought referring to the men who had kidnapped Emily.
However, after watching as the young woman began to tear up, but from happiness at being with them, as she seemed to know them, the young man understood what was going on.
Aren smiled and nodded his head.
"Well, since everything is settled, I'm leaving." thought the young man as he stealthily retreated; however, a voice stopped him.
- Aren! It's time to go! - Emily exclaimed.
The young man sighed.
A loud laugh was heard inside the dining room at the memory of that event.
- I really wish I could have seen Alberto's crying face! You really got sentimental, didn't you? - exclaimed the head of the family with great contentment.
The butler in the dining room coughed a little in embarrassment.
- Come on, my dear. You have no right to say that ... don't you remember that you almost cried when they arrived? - said his wife.
The man's slightly flushed cheeks made him calm down after that comment.
- Hey, Gladis. You don't have to say it like that. - commented the man with some embarrassment.
While Emily and the married couple continued talking, Aren, who was eating, could feel something strange. The eyes of the couple's two children were on him.
"Can't one eat in peace? On the other hand, how long will I stay here?" thought the young man.
- Dad, I think we should ask who is the boyfriend Emi brought. - said the boy innocently.
- N-Boyfriend? - Gladis said worriedly.
The older daughter looked sideways again at the handsome young man with some interest.
- You're wrong, John. He's not my boyfriend... he's...
As if she had just started to reflect, the answers that came to her mind came to a standstill.
"W-Who ... is he? Why do I think that now? ... Why did he save me? How did he do it? Why did I ask him to be with me all this time?" Those and more questions that she had not yet come to question flooded Emily's mind.
- John, where did you learn that from! - her mother exclaimed.
- From school. - replied the little boy.
While they were talking, Emily's uncle asked her if she was all right, as she seemed a little dazed.
- Eh? Yes... it's nothing... He's just a friend I met some time ago and he has helped me a lot until today. To tell you the truth, I am indebted to him.
- I see... well, if he is a friend of yours, then he is more than welcome in our house. - said the man trying to liven up the conversation.
To all this, the eldest daughter was silent throughout as if she was always attentively analyzing the situation since Aren sat at the table with them.
"She disappeared for more than five months, suddenly she appears again ... bringing with her a strange man ... but above all, it seems that nothing good happened to her ... she is trembling, even if she tries to hide it ... this gets interesting ... " thought the eldest daughter of that house.
"It seems that Melissa has also noticed ... what must have happened to Emily ... for the moment I won't ask what happened to her, but it seems that she has suffered a lot ... besides, who is this young man?" thought the male of the house while he remembered when Emily introduced him to Aren at the time of their reunion.
Aren's appearance was, at the time, showing an attractive young man, but he gave off a vibe of elegance that might lead one to think that he was from some high status family. But they had never heard or seen a person like him until today.
Even so far, the butlers and maids were captivated and amazed by the young man's appearance.
"Hahh...I feel like they are looking at me ugly...even I don't want to be here" thought the young man.