Chapter 4 HEA IV

Reaching their destination, the one hour drive left the two in daze while Ana watched the two in silence.

Chuckling, she patted their head, "Are we going in now, no?"

"Going in" Anselma murmured in daze, burying her face on Ana's chest.

"How about you?" She shifted her gaze on Lace.

"With Patrizia" Lace responded, waking up from his daze.

Ana nodded her head, "Go on, take her later on" She gestured lace to go in.

Watching her brother leave, she gazed down on the little girl cradling her arms. "Let's go, baby?" She whispered, brushing her hair. With a hum, Anselma nodded.

Chuckling, She wrapped her arms around her waist before guiding the lass to the entrance of the mall. It's called Westfield Donau Zentrum, one of the biggest malls in this country. The spacious hall gives her nostalgia, missing the modern life she led before, she shook her head to push it back into her mind.

They first went to the Thalia Wien, a department for complete shopping. The things she needed for this school year were located on the right end corner of the department.

While walking, she noticed something. Smile forming on her lips, she leads Anselma towards the Plushie Sections. Each shelf were full of plushie with different kinds of characters, a tray stand on the middle with sale word were etched on the center.

"Look Selma, it's kuromi" She poked the little girl who's roaming her gaze around the section.

Eyes sparkling, Anselma pulled Ana towards the human sized kuromi plush sitting on a shelf.

"It's almost the same size as me, Ana!" She uttered with amazement.

"You want this one?" Smiling, Ana was about to pull the plush out of the shelf but another hand from the other side held onto it.

"I got this one first" An arrogant voice rang out.

Eyes darkening, Ana glanced at the little girl who's the same age with Anselma standing arrogantly on the side. Brows raising, she pulled the plush, claiming it.

"I touched this one first" She stated as a matter of fact.

"No, I did it first" The little girl glared at her.

"We did" Suddenly, the little girl on her side spoke up.

Surprised, Ana looked at her, 'Patrizia, shit' She cursed in her heart, 'This spoiled brat'

Walking through the hallway with a couple of bags laying on the trolleys she's pushing, she glances at the girl standing beside her.

"You okay?" She slowly uttered to the lass beside her, gazing down on her feet, a small smile formed on her lips.

Earlier, She complained of a foot ache. Now, she's wearing beige fluffy slippers with a kuromi design.

"Hm-mhm" Patrizia nodded, pulling the trailing kuromi behind her.

Ana bit her lower lip, glancing at the almost wiggling plush. She was soon worried, not for the little girl who's abducted and placed inside the plushie but for Patrizia. She suddenly recalled how Patrizia wrapped the little girl and slid her inside the plushie, treating it like a mascot. Fortunately, there's no cameras pointing on their side at that time.

"Aren't you tired yet?" She hummed softly, shifting her mind off the plushie.

"No," Patrizia curtly replied. Dragging the plushie easily, her eyes caught something, or someone.

"Lace!" She suddenly called out, smile forming on her lips as she ran to his place while dragging the plushie.

She can hear soft whimpers but she didn't mind it, she immediately hugged his waist once she reached his place, dropping the plushie behind.

"Hey, M'lady," Lace brushed her hair, smiling gently.

"Look what we bought," Patrizia uttered with her sparkling eyes.

Lace, who's in doubt, glanced at her sister before shaking his head. Forcing a smile, he nodded at Patrizia while listening. Noticing a small movement from the plush, he ushered Patrizia inside a restaurant named Wiener Schnitzel.

"Patrizia" He gently called, "Can we let her go?"

Patrizia suddenly went silent, brows furrowing. "Who?"

Lace gestured to the plushie before receiving a harsh no from Patrizia.

"M'lady," He soothingly held the lady's arm "She's not to be used, why don't we let her go?"

Protruding her lips, Patrizia glanced at the plushie before looking up at Lace. "But she wants to take my plush away" She silently uttered.

"We can buy another one or make one" Lace proposed, "How about let Mackie make one for you?"

Pursing her lips, Patrizia slowly nodded her head in understanding. "Okay" she nodded her head before letting go of the plushie.

Lace with a smile gently patted her head, "let me have it first hm?" Kissing her forehead, he carried the plushie before going somewhere.

Looking around, he checked for some cameras as he discreetly discarded the plush to a machine he didn't know. 'Maybe a wrapping machine?' he thought, shrugging, he went back to their table with a smile.

There, he saw her sister sitting beside the lady. Table filled with food and drinks, he sat opposite them to have his fill.

Night has already come, Ana wearing her black dress sat on the parlour couched with her night snacks. Leaning against the armrest, she glanced at her brother and Patrizia sitting on the carpeted floor with toys and plushies scattered around.

The turned on flat screen playing the news for tonight, she suddenly remembered something. 'I'm turning sixteen this upcoming october' Pursing her lips, she glanced at the lass.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Just this afternoon, we found a little girl inside a human size stuffed toy dead" Ana paused from eating, focusing her gaze to the flat screen, "This afternoon, Mrs. & Mr. Alegra was searching for their missing youngest daughter, Cathryn and was soin found in a waste disposable machine at Wiener Schnitzel ...."

Her eyes narrowed, slowly turning her gaze at the two people who paused in their play. Gulping the lump on their throat, they immediately arranged and hid the toys before running back to their designated room.

Annoyed, Ana bit her lower lip, rubbing her nape in frustration. "LORENZO!" She called out, steadying her breathing, calming the anger rising in her heart.

"Yes madam?" A deep voice ranged out behind her, licking her lips, she gestured to the screen.

"Clean that, make sure they can't point out who" She uttered.

"Sí, Madame" Lorenzo bow respectfully before making his way out. Heaving a deep breath, 'that was intense' Shaking his head, he glanced at the two windows 'goodluck kids' he thought before fading away in the dark.

Grasping tightly on the mattress, Patrizia silently sobbed, filling her lungs with deep breath. Her face filled with tears, swollen eyes and protruded moist lips. Her lips were almost bleeding from her bites, enduring the pain she received from Ana.

"You know what you did wrong now?" Ana's voice filled her ears.

Pursing her lips, she kept silent- only to receive a harsh smack on her bottom, earning a cry from her throat.

"S-stop" She sniffles, "I-im sorry, p-please eno-ugh"

Ana silently watched the lass who's laying on her stomach on her bed, her cyclings were down on her knees, her bottom almost red from the beating she received tonight.

Sighing, she gently caressed her bottom. "I'm sorry" She murmured, carefully rubbing the pain away.

"I'm s-sorry" Patrizia softly muttered, sniffling. She can feel her snot almost running off her nose.

Ana carefully pulled Patrizia on her arm, careful enough so that she won't have contact with her painful bottom.

"Just don't do it again" She silently uttered, kissing her forehead. She can fully see her flushed face now, swollen eyes and lips. She can feel a stab of pain in her heart, caressing the lass' head, she ushered her to sleep.

Placing her on her tummy, she gently applied some ointment on her red bottom. 'You're only ten, yet you have your elder sister's attitude' She thought while watching the lass, covering her naked half with her own blanket before turning the lamp on as the small chandelier turned off instantly.