Chapter 4 Four

"Hello, Andrew. Are you there?" Victoria speaks with a soft voice.

"What do you want?" Andrew answer.

"Why are you back? Are you here to ruin my life, just as you did before you left us?" Andrew added as he glanced at the time. It was 9:46 p.m.

Andrew wonders why Victoria called him at this time. "Do you want us to discuss this over the phone?" Victoria asked.

Andrew sighs deeply as he lies half-naked on his bed. He isn't sure why he picked up the call in the first place.

"Where in the world did you go to Victoria?" Andrew asked her as he grunted and tried to get up from the bed.

"Missing me already?" Victoria giggled over the phone.

"I am past the delusion that I need to love or missed someone a long time ago," Andrew says, walking towards the couch in his room.

Andrew picked up the glass cup containing the liquor. He drank everything and tried to open the liquor bottle to pour some again.

"Still angry?" Victoria asked.

There was a moment of silence over the phone. And Victoria could hear Andrew's breath.

"We have got to meet," she said.

"Why? I have no reason to meet with you," Andrew responded.

"I think you do if you truly want to be with your son," says Victoria.

Victoria's intentions were pure mind games. She knew that's the only way to lure him to see her.

Andrew is a possessive human by nature, which made Victoria understand how crucial it is to use this habit to her advantage.

Andrew paused his drink right before he sipped it. He thought for a few seconds about what her intentions were. And why does she want them to meet?

"Where?" Andrew asked.

He accepted to meet only because she mentioned his son; otherwise, he has no reason to meet with the woman who ran away from him and his son when he had nothing.

Lily sat beside David on the bed as she read the bedtime story to him. "Mr. Rabbit was able to save his children from the fox. And they live happily away from Mr. Fox." Lily concludes the story, turning and looking at David.

"Did you enjoy the story?" she asked.

"Yes, I do," David answered.

"Now, you should get some sleep." Lily says as she stands from the bed and tucks in David, putting him to sleep.

"Goodnight and sweet dreams," Lily kissed his forehead.

"Thank you, Miss Lily," says David. "Will you read the bedtime story to me tomorrow again?" he asked.

Lily smiled back at David and said, "Of course I will." She switched off the light and jammed the door.

Andrew sat on the cozy couch in his room, pressing his laptop. He couldn't get back to sleep.

A knock at Andrew's door echoes through the room. "Can I come in?" Lily requested.

"Come in," Andrew answered. Lily walked in and fixed her gaze on the fancy armchairs and exotic bed.

She is amaze by the luxury. Does he sleep alone in this gigantic room? She thought to herself.

Andrew raised his head to look at Lily. He could sense the curiosity and questions going through her mind.

"Italian handmade," Andrew said.

"What! I didn't catch that," Lily quickly asked, looking confused.

"The bed. It's a limited edition from Italy." Andrew answered.

"The cushions are also Italian-made. Made from jaguar skin," he added.

"Wow, that must have cost a fortune," said Lily.

"Is he asleep?" Andrew asked, signaling for Lily to come sit close to him.

"Fast asleep. He is such a sweet boy," she answered, trying to sit on the cushion.

Andrew offers Lily a glass of Australian-made liquor.

"I don't drink," she said, looking at Andrew with a disapproving face.

Andrew clicks his teeth with his tongue and says, "A sip won't hurt. You never know what adventure awaits you on the ither side"

Lily's eyes were now fixed on a painting staring at her on the wall just opposite her. A painting of a lady, half covered with a transparent veil, shows her bosom with one of her breasts exposed.

Andrew notices her gaze and says, "There is beauty in every woman." "She is an Egyptian goddess of lust," Andrew informs Lily.

"So, why are you keeping such paintings?" Lily asked.

Andrew offered her the drink again, replying, "You will see more of this beauty when you drink this." He offered her the drink.

Lily thought to herself, What beauty is there to see? She is also a woman.

"The beauty of the goddess can't be seen in an actual sense. You need liquor sense to see it," Andrew said, chuckling mischievously.

He sounded like he could read her mind or know what was going on in her head. Lily took the drink anyway but with unsureness. She believe it is better to be an eyewitness than to hear the story.

Lily sips the drink, squeezing her face and closing her eyes, struggling like a child who just tasted something bitter.

"Is it always bitter?" Lily said, giving back to Andrew the drink.

Andrew gently laughs at her. "For the first-timers, yeah," he said.

Lily stared at the painting, this time with more focus, just to see what beauty Andrew was talking about. Is she really an Egyptian goddess or just some Leonard da Vinci masterpiece painting. She wants to find out.

"I still can't see anything," she said, turning to face Andrew.

Both of them turned at the same time, and their lips were almost lurking next to each other. They stare at each other without blinking an eye.

Lily couldn't look away and was slowly swallowing her saliva. Her heart began to race, and she could feel some heat rising within her.

Andrew looked straight into Lily's eyes with burning passion. He looked at her red lips and back at her eyes. Lily couldn't resist him; there was something about his aura she couldn't explain. Lily approved of Andrew's gaze and rubbed her lips against his.

Andrew moved away, looking at Lily with desire. He grabbed her neck and kissed her chin. Lily felt an adrenaline rush within her. She could feel the soft lips of Andrew on her neck now-the mesmerizing touch on her neck.

Andrew pulls away again, this time apologizing. "I am sorry." He said this to Lily, looking away.

Lily kept quiet. She stood up and walked out of the room.

Andrew sat there staring at the painting, smiling reluctantly to himself as he looked at the painting. That must be some mischievous way to lure a woman to kiss you for the fast time.

Andrew took a deep breath slowly and sigh.

Lily, back in her room, was lying on her bed, and the memories of what just happened between her and Andrew kept flashing back. "What is happening to me?" she thought to herself.

Everything was rushing at her. Is she developing feelings for Andrew? His son has already created a mutual bond with her, and she could feel how obsessed David is with her.

"What happened to this family? She asked herself. ... Did something happen that made this family fall apart?" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. And all of a sudden, she widely opened her eyes with the speed of a flash.

The thought of her mother's condition and the time she has to live in this world fiercely grasp her mind. Lily burst into tears. She stood up and walk towards her luggage. She reach for the leather bag containing her clothes and other belongings.

Lily unzipoed it and dipped her hand in the bag. She looks like she is searching for something significant.

Lily brought out a box wrapped in an old rag. She unwrapped it and opened the box. There were a few things in it. She took out a picture of her mother; the picture was half torn. A part was missing from the picture.

She looked at the picture with a sober face, her eyes filled with tears. Her tears drop into the box and splash on a white-sealed envelope. It caught Lily's attention. She looked surprised. Reaching out to the envelope, "What could this be?" She asked herself.

Lily opens it and tries reading the content. She was taken aback by the content, and she held her mouth in disbelief. An uncontrollable tears rush down her cheeks.

The content of the letter must have contain lots of things, maybe secret or confession. Or is it a dying wish from her mother.

"Oh my goodness" Lily said softly as she cried more. She lay back on the bed and covered her face with the blanket.

The content of the letter remains unknown, but from the mood of Lily we could absolutely conclude that the letter wasn't appeasing. Sh wept bitterly after comprehending the content of the letter.