Chapter 4 4

Freya watched them, her eyes narrowed slightly. The night was far from over for her.

Late at night, the cruise had finally gone silent after everyone had exhausted themselves partying and drinking. Viviana lay in her bed, sleeping with her head on the side of the end of the bed and her feet pointing at the headrest, sweating and feeling feverish. She twisted and turned, growing increasingly uncomfortable, and finally called out, "Nico?" Her eyes remained closed, but she received no response. Reaching over to the other side of the bed, she felt nothing but empty space.

Her brows furrowed in concern. "Nico? Are you there?" she called again, this time sitting up to get a proper view. All she saw was a lump of blankets, which, upon inspection, turned out to be a pillow tucked under them.

Viviana's heart pounded with a mix of anger and anxiety as she sat up instantly, scanning the room. Her chest heaved with frustration as she marched out of the room, striding down the hallway and onto the deck, hoping to find him there. But Nico was nowhere to be seen.

Despite not wanting to be suspicious, Viviana couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in her gut. His actions had been suspicious for a while now, making her infuriated. She stood on the deck, the cool night breeze doing little to calm her racing thoughts. Where could he be? What was he hiding from her?

From the deck of the cruise, Viviana could see the distant cluttered port about a mile away. Containers stood tall, looming over the area and blocking the sparse light that attempted to spread. The floor of the port was slippery and dirty, littered with small stones and rubble. Puddles left by the rain the night before still glistened on the ground, undisturbed until someone splashed through the muddy water, smearing the only reflections of the dim light, making the water look glittery from the dispersed reflections.

A pair of bare feet rushed through the containers, a raspy breath echoing in the deserted port. It was a desperate run, as if someone was hiding from a pursuer. The girl, clad in a now muddy and sticky white dress, had slim, slender arms that appeared weak, and her small, pale face was bruised painfully. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with fear and exhaustion, her breaths hitching uncontrollably despite her attempts to silence them. Goosebumps covered her back and arms as the cold wind howled through the hollow openings of the tall containers.

Her brows creased in terror, and she clutched her chest tightly, crawling behind one of the containers. She hoped to remain unseen, curling up as small as possible, her entire body trembling with fright. She held her breath, listening for any sound of pursuit, praying for safety in her hidden nook.

"It has been a long chase, hasn't it, little missy? I bet you're tired now," came a voice from the silence of the night. Her lips parted painfully, as if she had been stabbed just by hearing the voice. Her breath choked in her throat, and her mouth remained open, gasping for air. Her eyes shed tears, and she stiffened, frozen in place.

"Come out now. You know I won't hurt you. I mean, how could I hurt someone who loves me so much, so dearly?" The voice was full of a venomous hum, cold yet captivating. He took long steps in his neatly polished shoes, his hands calmly tucked into his dress pants.

"Liora, you know I don't have much time. Come out and tell me where your father is, and I will let you go. I promise. I wouldn't hurt you. You have my words." His tone grew sweeter and sweeter with each passing second, dripping with false sincerity.

Liora's breathing had calmed at this point. The look of fear in her eyes subsided as if she truly believed he would not hurt her. Her stiffened hands around her chest relaxed, and she showed slight movements.

"Come out! Come out or I will find you," he said, his footsteps closing in. "I will always-always find you." The last few words sounded extra cruel.

"You promise?" Liora asked in a weak voice to confirm.

"Obviously. I would not break my promise to you, would I? After all, you love me so much, I wouldn't want to hurt you like that," he replied, his voice dripping with false sincerity.

"Okay... I will come out," she said, trying hard to keep her voice stable. Slowly, she stepped out of hiding, stepping on sharp rocks without wincing. She crawled out and stood up, facing the man in the dark.

"Tsk! There you are. My men had been looking for you everywhere," he said calmly, opening his arms as if calling her for a hug. Liora was reluctant at first, her dark, gloomy eyes void of emotion.

"Come on," he reassured her, and after a long pause, Liora decided to take a step forward. The man walked up closer slowly, as if trying not to scare away the prey.

"Liora, your father must be so worried for you. Let me take you to him. Come on," he said, and there was an instant pause in her steps. She slowly shook her head in fear.

"He-I don't know where he is," she replied, her voice shaking, her hands curling up around her dress nervously.

"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked, still calm.

"He and Lio left. I don't know where they are," she said, noticing the shift in his tone.

"So-you are saying that you have no idea where your father is?" His voice held disappointment.

"Yes," she replied.

"And that they left you here and ran away?" he added.

"Yes," she said, her eyes still lowered. "Are you mad?" she asked, choking on her words, her eyes pleading.

"Hah!" There was a cold chuckle, and the man finally pulled his hand out of his pocket casually. I followed you here for absolutely no reason?"

Liora gulped, her breath becoming rapid once more. She knew what was coming next. "Please-You promised," she choked, her eyes fixed on his hand, which reached back and pulled out a gun.

"You promised-" he mimicked her voice, mocking her. "Since when did I keep my promises?" he said, his lip curling up as he lifted his gun and pointed it at her. Before Liora could utter the next word, he shot twice, and a sharp, painful scream escaped her lips.

Back on the deck, Viviana shuddered. A gust of cold wind brushed across her, causing her knees to feel weak. Was that a scream? Viviana thought to herself as she shuddered as she looked around, and from behind, Nico appeared.

"There you are! I had been looking for you everywhere!" he said, putting his hands around her waist and hugging her from behind, resting his head on her shoulder. "This feels nice," he said calmly.