Chelsy had gone to her father's favorite spot for a swim. As she was heading back to her tent, she encountered something that left her speechless.
A man was seated on the roots of a gigantic tree along the tiny path she was walking on. She gaped with wide eyes, the most ethereal human she had ever come across.
The man before her was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He should be a million times more handsome than all the male celebrities she had ever watched on TV. One could classify him under the epitome of pulchritude.
The man was dressed in khaki trousers and a black hoodie. He had a black bucket hat on which shaded his face. His deep blue eyes were so mesmerizing that Chelsy felt as though she could get lost in them. He had a strong, defined and masculine jawline. He was the definition of perfection.
Oh God. This man cannot be real. He must have come from one of those fantasy books. Better still, he might be a spirit. No human can be this perfect. Chelsy thought to herself.
She remembered her father telling them tales of the past, how, hundreds of years ago, Gancanaghs who were known for their strikingly handsome features and irresistible charms, would roam lonely valleys and mountains to seduce and enchant women.
Chelsy stood frozen for a while as their eyes met. She could feel herself drowning in his eyes. Was this a spell or was Chelsy just swooning over the stranger?
This man looked too good to be a human being.
As Chelsy was still under his cute spell, he opened his mouth and said in a low but husky voice, ''please can you help me?''
Chelsy snapped out of her trance, and realized that the man seemed hurt. His ankle had been twisted outwardly. He couldn't stand. She gasped and asked, ''Oh my gosh. Are you okay?''
She quickly rushed towards the man and stooped to look at his twisted ankle. ''This looks pretty bad. Your ankle actually rolled out. I will need to twist it back to the correct position. This will really hurt a little, okay?''
Chelsy told him while looking into his face. Oh my goodness. This man is breathtaking. Gosh Chelsy, stop acting like an idiot. Stop daydreaming and help this man out. Chelsy thought to herself.
The man looked at Chelsy and just nodded. His eyes showed he was in deep pain, but his facial expression was still and not readable.
Chelsy pulled up the foot of his trousers to his knee. She took off the stranger's sneakers and then said, ''hey mister. At the count of three, I will pull your leg inwardly. Let's go, one, two.''
Chelsy didn't complete three and pulled his leg inwardly.
There was a loud crack that made the man wince, and his eyes shut tight. Chelsy was not a professional in the medical field. But she had basic first aid training while working as a carer at Cedar House. There was a little smile at the corner of her lips. ''I am sorry I had to pull on the second count. At least it took the anxiety of pain from your mind. It already looks swollen. You need to see a doctor as soon as possible. But first, we need to tie your ankle so as not to put too much pressure on it.''
Chelsy stood and walked back to the spot where she had dropped her bag. She took out a floral scarf and tied it round the man's ankle.
The stranger seemed to have felt much better. ''Did you come here with someone? I am asking because you will need assistance moving around before help comes.''
The man whose eyes were deeply staring at Chelsy, shook his head negatively. Chelsy took a deep humph and asked, ''Did you camp around here? If so, where is your tent? I can help hold you to your tent.''
The man who had been silent all this while, spoke in a low and husky voice. ''No. I don't have a tent here, neither am I a camper.''
Chelsy looked surprised and confused. ''Then what are you doing here in this lonely mountain?'' She asked. Chelsy, with her face showing a tinge of fear, took a step back. ''Are you a spirit? Are you a Mountain Gancanagh?''
The man who had been listening to Chelsy with all her drama and weird questions looked at her with the corner of his mouth slightly raised in a smile. He spoke in a deep husky voice which was so intimidating. ''What if I am a gancanagh?''
The stranger chuckled and continued. ''You will definitely be my first victim.''
Chelsy positioned herself in a manner ready to fight. ''If you are, I will make sure I fight you before you kill me.'' Chelsy spoke, with seriousness in her voice.
The stranger gave another chuckle and responded, ''before you fight me, my powers will weaken you.''
He raised his head and stared directly into Chelsy's eyes. ''By the way, I am not a spirit nor a gancanagh. I am a hundred percent human, just like you.''
When Chelsy heard this, the fear she had in her subsided. ''Then how will you get to your destination? Do you have a phone with you to contact anyone for help?''
The man who had been staring at Chelsy said, ''I do have a phone, but it is low on battery.''
Chelsy asked him to show her the kind of phone he had. It was not a smartphone. It looked like the phones produced in the early two thousands.
When Chelsy saw the phone, she was surprised, and gave a little smile. ''Do they still produce these phones nowadays? How come you are in possession of this type of phone?''
She let out an enthusiastic sigh. ''There is good and bad news.'' Chelsy said.
The stranger looked at Chelsy with eyes depicting no emotions. ''Speak.'' He said coldly.
Chelsy was not concerned by his cold demeanor. ''Anyway, you are in luck. I do have a portable charging power bank. And my lamp's charger should be able to charge your phone. And now the bad news is, we will have to walk half a mile to get to my tent to get them.''
The man who was still looking at Chelsy with an expressionless face, nodded at Chelsy and responded. ''Okay. Let's go.''
Chelsy helped him stand up. He was a very tall man. Even though Chelsy was five feet and eight inches tall, she looked shorter than him. He placed his hand on Chelsy's shoulder and used her as a crutch. They slowly walked to Chelsy's tent.
Meanwhile, at Robert's Cottage, Emilia Roberts had been walking around the garden after her conversation with Ken. She had so much going through her mind.
After everything Ken had told her, she had a suspicion that Helena was hiding something. She picked up her phone and dialed a number. When the call got connected, she spoke in a low but commanding voice. ''Damian, I want you to investigate Helena Richards. Find out her medical records for the last five months. I want you to find out every detail and what happened on the night of the merger between Roberts Corporations and Starlink Conglomerates. I will be expecting that information before the end of tomorrow.''
After telling Damian what she was expecting from him, she ended the call.
Emilia Roberts was a woman of few words. She was a strong woman with her own opinions. She had always listened to her instincts and made her own decisions, based on her own value system. Her straightforwardness was one of the reasons her husband always made good business decisions.
Back in the mountains, Chelsy struggled and was able to take the stranger to her tent. She was sweating profusely on the forehead, breathing heavily and gasping for air like a fish out of water. She felt like she was going to pass out as she rested her hands on her knees.
Oh my goodness. This man's weight is heavier than that of a cement truck. I feel like my breath is about to be sucked out.Chelsy thought to herself.
The man sat down in front of the tent. ''Wait here while I grab the charger and the power bank.'' Chelsy spoke with a little smile and walked into her tent.
Shortly after that, she came out holding a power bank and a charger. She stretched out her hand and said, ''Let me have the phone.''
The stranger handed the phone to Chelsy and didn't utter a single word.
Chelsy connected the phone to the charger, and it indicated that the power bank was low on power as well. Chelsy looked at the stranger with an awkward smile and remarked, ''I am sorry, but the power bank is low as well. But the good thing is, this power bank is solar charged. Thanks to the heavens, it is not yet sundown. The little sun can charge it for a while.''
The stranger said nothing and continued staring at Chelsy intensely. The atmosphere was so awkward. Chelsy was the talkative, while the man just answered in single words.
This irritated Chelsy and she decided to stay quiet. It was sundown and places were getting darker and darker. The stranger's stomach growled, and it caught Chelsy's attention.
''You seem hungry.'' Chelsy told the stranger as she stood up from where she was sitting. She walked into her tent and got a lighter. She walked back to where they were sitting and made a quick fire.
She took out two bags of instant noodles and made a quick noodle dish.
She passed a bowl to him and said, ''It shows you are not much of a talker. You can have this. I believe your stomach needs this right now more than your mouth.''
The stranger stared at the bowl for some few seconds before taking it. His expression was not readable. From the way he was looking at the bowl and not making any efforts to eat, it seemed as though he was not used to eating such foods.
He took a deep breath and started eating. They both finished eating and sat by the fire, which kept them warm.
Since Chelsy could not stand his nonchalant demeanor, she went inside the tent and took her guitar, the bottle of wine she had taken along, and two silver cups.
She sat down and spoke with so much sarcasm in her voice. ''Today is my last night here, and I am seated here with a total stranger who is quieter than a verbally impaired person. I am about to have some wine and music. If you care to join me, here is a cup. If you don't want to, just sit there and wait. Once your phone is fully charged, and it comes on, you can call whoever it is you have to call, so they can help you off of this mountain.''
As she finished speaking, she sat in a lotus position and started playing random strings on her guitar.
Chelsy opened the wine and started sipping. She started playing and singing different songs. The wine she had taken started kicking in. She raised her head and looked at the stranger who had been sitting quietly and watching her play the guitar. She gave a quiet cackle and said, ''Hey, you Mister quiet gancanagh. Why do you men always act so nice at the beginning, then at the center, you change like chameleons? Is it because you men think women are just rag dolls or objects to be tossed aside when you are done using them?''
Chelsy gave a drunk cackle, and continued, ''Do you know rich men that are handsome are the worst kind of men to be with? Do you know what I call them? I call them stupid capitalists. You know what, let me give you a little advice. Never fall in love with anyone, okay? True love doesn't exist. It will only give you heartache, pain and disappointment.''
The stranger raised an eyebrow as if Chelsy's words had struck a nerve in him.
Chelsy was already half drunk and didn't care what she said to the stranger. I will never see this stranger again. So it doesn't matter what I say or do. Chelsy thought to herself.
She had drunk more than half of the bottle already. She cleared her throat and said, ''The man I called the love of my life is actually getting married next week.''
Chelsy gave a bitter laughter, and continued speaking. ''Do you know the funniest part about this story? I am not the bride.''
She gave another sad laughter and started playing and singing a popular song, titled I will never love again.
When she got to the chorus, she started singing louder and tears rolled down her cheeks. ''I don't want to feel another touch. I don't want to start another fire. I don't want to know another kiss nor another name falling off my lips. I don't want to give my heart away to another stranger. Or let another day begin, not even let the sunlight in, because I will never love again.''
The tears kept flowing down her cheeks like a river. The stranger, who had been quiet all through, said in an irritating tone. ''That is enough wine. Don't consume that anymore.'' He picked up the half filled bottle of wine and placed it behind him. ''Don't you know drinking so much alcohol isn't good for your health?''
Chelsy was so annoyed and screamed at him with tears full in her eyes. ''Why are you scolding me? Give it back to me. It isn't yours.''
She cleaned her teary face with her hands and moved closer to him. She drunkenly told the stranger. ''If you don't give it back to me, I will kiss you right here and right now.''
The stranger was stunned, and he looked at Chelsy as if she was crazy.
Before he could say anything, Chelsy slammed her lips on his. The kiss was soft, tender and sweet. They both just closed their eyes and went with the moment.
Chelsy pulled back and held his face in her hands. She spoke in a very low voice which sounded like a whisper. ''Kenny. Why did you hurt me like this? Do you know my heart has been shattered into a million pieces? Did you ever love me, Ken? Or did the love we shared mean nothing at all?
As she spoke, the tears kept streaming down her face. The stranger, who was still in a daze after the kiss, snapped out of his trance.
He held Chelsy by the shoulders and pushed her aside. ''Get a grip on yourself young lady. You don't just go around kissing random people.''
Chelsy gave a little laugh and responded. ''I warned you, but you didn't listen. I asked you to give me my wine back, but you didn't. This is the consequence of your action.'' She gave a little laugh and moved back to where she was seated. The evening continued in total silence as Chelsy played her guitar, and the stranger in total silence.
Chelsy fluttered her eyes and discovered that it was already dawn. She checked her watch and found out that it was already five am. She looked around and found that she was inside the tent.
''How did I get in here last night?'' As she looked out of the tent, she found the stranger sleeping beside her tent.
What will happen when Chelsy remembers everything she had said and done the night before? And who was the handsome stranger she met?