I spent two tedious days in the hospital room, with no phone and only the news channel for company. Gabriel had left after our awkward conversation, saying he would return in two days to pick me up. I should have taken the opportunity to escape, but I didn't want to have to deal with the repercussions. Besides, I still didn't know who he was or why he seemed to wield so much power.
As I waited, I tried to contact Wu, I had asked doctors and nurses who came to check up on me for the favor but every phone number I tried yielded the same response: his number no longer existed. I worried that something terrible had happened to him.
The doctor informed me that I'd be discharged once Gabriel returned, and that I should make a full recovery from my minor head injury. But despite the pleasant hospital stay, I couldn't shake the feeling that my life was still in danger.
Gabriel arrived that evening, beaming with a bright smile. He hugged me, told me to take a quick bath, and offered me a change of clothes. I gratefully accepted, eager to shed my hospital gown.
As we prepared to leave, the security guard who had been stationed outside my door followed us at a distance. But he didn't get into the car with us. Instead, Gabriel guided me into a sleek black vehicle, different from the red sports car he'd driven before.
As we drove off, I worked up the courage to ask Gabriel where we were headed. "We're going back to my place," he said, his smile unwavering.
I felt a surge of unease. "But I have a home and a guardian. He's probably worried sick about me." I tried to plead with him. "Please, can you take me home?"
Gabriel's expression turned dark. "Guardian? You mean Wu?"
I was taken aback. How did he know Wu's name? "Yes, Wu. He was there when I got kidnapped, and I'm sure he's frantic with worry."
Gabriel's face contorted into a conflicted expression, as if weighing his options. "I'm not so sure he's worrying about that, or even thinking at all, given how I killed him yesterday."
"What?" I managed to stammer, desperately hoping he was joking or I had heard wrong.
Gabriel's expression remained serious. "He's dead, so you don't have a guardian anymore. But don't worry, you're an adult now, so you don't need him. You can just live with me from now on."
I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. The boy beside me had casually informed me that he'd killed the only family I'd known for two years. I wanted to strangle him.
In a daze, I pounced on Gabriel, pushing him against the car door. I cried, screamed, and hit him, demanding to know why he'd killed Wu. Gabriel defended himself, but he didn't fight back. The driver swerved to a stop, and he tried to intervene, but Gabriel yelled at him not to touch me.
I didn't care. I just wanted Gabriel to pay for what he'd done in what little way I could. I yelled at the top of my lungs, threatening to go to the police and have him locked up for murder. A small part of me wished I didn't believe him, a very tiny part of my heart wished I'd thought he was joking but I had also seen him murder someone with an indifferent face, I did not put it beneath him to actually murder someone who pissed him off. When I finally exhausted myself, I collapsed on the other side of the seat, sobbing uncontrollably.
Gabriel sat up, his eyes locked on mine. I expected him to lash out, hit me, pull my hair or do anything for daring to lay my hands on him, but instead, he drew me closer for a hug. I felt a knot in my stomach. I did not feel comforted by his hug in any way, instead, I felt hate, anger and a will to stab him.
"There, there," he whispered. "Don't be sad. God probably needed him in heaven and called upon him, I just guided him there."
I recoiled, horrified by his twisted words. This lunatic had no remorse for killing Wu.
I tried to pull away from him, but his muscular arms held me in a vice-like grip. I yelled and screamed at him, pleading with him to let me go. My voice grew hoarse as I screamed until it turned to tears. "Do human lives not mean anything to you?" I sobbed, my body shaking with anguish.
Gabriel remained silent. He simply hugged me, patting my back in a mockery of comfort. I broke into uncontrollable tears, my grief and anger overwhelming me.
As I cried, Gabriel's grip on me loosened, and he stroked my hair, his touch sending shivers down my spine. I felt a wave of revulsion wash over me, but I was too numb to resist. I simply cried, my body racked with sobs.
After what felt like an eternity, my tears finally began to subside. I lay against Gabriel's chest, exhausted and drained. He continued to stroke my hair, his touch gentle but uninvited.
As I caught my breath, I realized that we were still in the car, parked by the side of the road. The driver was nowhere to be seen, but I could sense that we were alone. I felt a surge of fear, wondering what Gabriel's next move would be.
Gabriel seemed to sense my fear, and he leaned in close, his breath whispering against my ear. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I'll take care of you. You're safe with me."
I froze as I realized the true extent of my situation. I was trapped with a killer, a man who had murdered the only person I cared about. A man who had shown no empathy to the crime he had committed. And now, he was promising to take care of me? I knew that I had to escape from him, no matter what it took.