Chapter 5 Mysterious guy

Chapter 5

The woman took a few more shots before handing them to Blythe.

Blythe showed me the photos, and they were stunning. Every shot was well-taken; there were some candid pictures, but they were all beautiful.

"Wow. You're really good at taking pictures, huh? Thank you, miss, they're all beautiful," Blythe said, looking at the saleslady in amazement.

The woman smiled at us, "You're welcome, Ma'am."

Blythe took her wallet from the small bag she was holding and pulled out five thousand pesos. "Here, take this, you did a great job."

The woman's eyes widened, "Oh no, there's no need. It was a small thing, and I'm actually lucky that you chose me to take your photos."

"Lucky? Why is that?" I asked innocently.

"Because I got to speak to and stand before people as beautiful as goddesses."

"I don't take 'no' for an answer, so here, take this. I'll give it to someone else if you don't accept it."

Blythe took the woman's hand and placed the five thousand pesos in it.

I smiled sweetly at the woman and nodded at her.

"Thank you so much, Ma'am. This is a huge amount for me," she said, scratching her head, "It's a month's salary for me."

"You're welcome!"

Blythe pulled me along again, and the woman excused herself to return to work.

Blythe had me try on many clothes, and she did the same. I've lost count of how many outfits I've tried on.

Sometimes I would pause, unable to understand why I felt so strange, as if there were many cameras and eyes watching me wherever I went.

Maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me.

Blythe was paying for our purchases when I noticed a man in the distance. He was tall and well-built, probably as strong as Blythe's bodyguard. He was dressed entirely in black-black hoodie, black pants, shoes, hat, sunglasses, and even a black mask.

I noticed him flinch when I glanced in his direction. I wasn't sure because he was wearing sunglasses, but I had a strong feeling he was looking at me.

I turned to Blythe, hoping she had noticed the mysterious man, but was immediately disappointed to see her focused on her task, with Knight paying attention only to her. I looked back at the man's direction, but he was gone. Did he leave, or was I just imagining things? Was it all just in my head?

I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them. Maybe I hadn't seen a mysterious man after all-perhaps I was just hallucinating.

My attention was diverted when someone bumped into me. It didn't hurt because the impact wasn't that strong.

"Sorry, miss. We didn't see you."

When I looked up, I glanced back and forth between the two men. They were tall and had fair skin, slightly slanted eyes, and sharp noses. They looked exactly alike, with no discernible differences, except for their clothing styles.

"Are you twins?"

They both stared at my face, pushing each other to answer my question. They looked shy, with their ears slightly reddened.

One of them pushed the other toward me, and he almost fell, which would have taken me down with him if it happened.

"Sorry again, Ma'am," he said shyly, scratching his eyebrow, "What's your name?"

"Alyana, Alyana Brielle."

"I'm Margo, Margo Domingo, and the man behind me is Magnus. We're twins."

"Is Brielle your last name?" Magnus interjected.

I shook my head, "No, my last name is Morcaida."

"Alyana Brielle Morcaida... Your name suits you."

I looked down as Margo extended his hand to me, "Nice meeting you, Alyana."

Magnus did the same, and I sincerely accepted both handshakes.

"Hope we meet again, miss," said Magnus.

The two bid farewell, saying someone was waiting for them-probably the reason they were in such a hurry and bumped into me.

Blythe approached me with narrowed eyes.

"Who are they? Do you know them?"

I quickly shook my head, "No, I just met them. They only apologized for bumping into me."

The worry in Blythe's narrowed eyes was replaced with concern. "Are you hurt? Do you have any scratches? Tell me."

"I'm fine, Blythe. The bump wasn't that hard."

"Argh, if I had only seen their faces!"

I held her hand, "They're nice, and I'm okay."

"Be careful next time, okay?"

We were still inside the mall, heading toward the exit, and it seemed like there were even more people around than before. I was holding Blythe's arm, but because of the crowd, I lost my grip. I tried to follow them, but people blocked my way. Panic filled me when I could no longer see them. I wanted to cry-I was lost. I was separated from Blythe.

I looked around, hoping to spot Blythe, but I couldn't see her anywhere. All I could see was a group of people gathered together. I approached them, and because of my small stature, I was able to squeeze through to see what they were all crowding around.

A man was unconscious, lying on the floor. I couldn't bring myself to look closely because of fear. I shut my eyes tightly and forced myself to look at the man's face. He didn't look familiar, but I think I saw him earlier.

Who would do this to him? Who would dare harm this man in a crowded place with so many cameras around?

My attention was diverted from the man's lifeless body when the woman to my right spoke.

"He deserves that," she said.

"Huh? Do you know that guy? What really happened?" her companion asked.

"Here's the thing, a mysterious guy suddenly appeared earlier. He attacked that man because he caught him taking pictures of a woman."

"Just because he was taking pictures of a woman?"

"No. That guy's a creep, a pervert. His camera was focused on the woman's thighs. He's lucky all he got was some bruises and beatings."

The woman turned to me, her eyes widening when she saw me.

"That's her! That's the woman I was talking about."

I was about to step away when someone grabbed my arm. Panicked, I turned to look at the person.

"Oh my God, Alyana! Where have you been?"

Relief washed over me when I saw the worried face of the woman in front of me.

She sighed in relief, "Let's go home. This place is not safe anymore."

I looked at Knight, and he simply nodded, letting us walk ahead.

I still had my eyes open while lying in bed, unable to shake off the events from earlier. Who was that mysterious man? Do I know him?

When we arrived at the mansion, I begged Blythe not to tell Dad and Uncle Sandro about my near disappearance at the mall. They might not allow me to go out again, and Uncle would surely scold Blythe more. He disagreed but couldn't do anything about it.

Even now, the incident is still troubling me. My curiosity is overwhelming. I wonder if the mysterious man I saw earlier was the same one I encountered. Should I be grateful to him? But it was still wrong for him to hurt that man. Yes, the man's actions were wrong too, but it wasn't a sufficient reason for him to hurt someone else.

When I looked at the large clock in the room, I realized it was already nine in the evening. I adjusted my position and removed the tangles from my long hair. I let it fall freely, reaching my waist. I closed my eyes and, aided by my sleepiness, fell asleep quickly.

"Baby, after waiting for so long, I can finally touch you."

I tried to open my eyes and move my body, but I couldn't. I wasn't alone in the room; I sensed a presence and heard a voice, though it wasn't clear, and I couldn't understand what was being said.

The stranger's large hands gently stroked my face. I wanted to scream when I felt the bed dip, signaling he had lain down beside me. His firm arms wrapped around my waist, caressing it while he sniffed my neck. My fear made my skin crawl.

"Hah! Stop!" I gasped awake, clutching my chest. I looked around. Everything was still in place, and my sleeping position hadn't changed. I glanced at the clock-was it almost six? Does that mean I only slept for ten hours?

I was supposed to wake up at exactly seven; it's rare for me to wake up this early. Maybe I was having a nightmare. But why did I dream such a thing?

I went to the bathroom, and when I looked at myself in the mirror, I was shocked. I touched my lips-had I been bitten by a cockroach last night, causing them to swell and redden? How gross, and a cockroach was the first to kiss my lips.

I walked lightly to the kitchen. It was still a bit dark, but since the outside lights were on, I could see my way. I quickly turned on the kitchen light. I grabbed a glass and poured some water. After drinking, I took another cup and a spoon. I placed the empty milk container with a slump, realizing it was empty.

I looked up and my face lit up when I saw many milk sachets. They were a bit high, but I should be able to reach them. I raised one hand and tried to grab one, but it was still out of reach. I even tried standing on my toes, but still no luck. This was really frustrating; I just wanted to drink some milk.

I froze when I felt a solid object behind me. Someone placed a hand on the counter and effortlessly reached the milk sachet I had been trying to get. I felt his warm breath on my neck, causing my hair to stand on end. "You should ask for help."

It was Brother Alejandro, indeed.

brother Alejandro stepped back a bit, and that's when I managed to face him. His eyes were now gentle, unlike the previous days when they were sharp and dark.

"T-thank you," I said nervously, unable to look directly into his eyes.

My eyes remained on his broad chest as he spoke.

"Why are you already awake? It's too early."

I don't know, but my tongue always gets tangled when he's around.

I looked up; his eyes were fixed on my lips, and a fleeting smile curved his lips. His face was soft and calm now, which eased some of my fear.

"I-I was just thirsty and decided to find something warm to drink," I managed to say without stuttering too much.

He nodded. "Can you make me a coffee too?"

He moved to my side and leaned against the wall, crossing his large arms and continuing to watch me as if observing.

I kept my mouth shut, feeling awkward.

After making my own drink, I made his coffee. I can't drink coffee myself because my body is too sensitive to it.

I handed him the coffee, our hands briefly touching, sending a jolt of electricity through me.

He blew on the coffee and took a sip. "You're good, huh? So delicious."

The way he looked at me was unusual. I wasn't sure if he was talking about the coffee or if he meant something else.

What does that mean, Alyana?

To Be Continued...