Chapter 21: A Kiss from Death

Slipping in and out of consciousness, I couldn’t pinpoint what time it is or whether Christmas was over. Cedric may have stayed beside me the entire time as I lay in bed, unable to move anything aside from my fingers and toes. It didn’t help at all that my anxiety was rising higher and higher each time I woke up from what seemed to be bits of my memory coming back in the forms of dreams and sometimes, nightmares. Whenever Cedric and I appeared into view, having fun and kissing… It always ends in that memory where rain tainted both of our skins as I yelled out at him in desperation to come back, creating a hole in my heart.

“Why don’t you love me?!”

It was as if every time I kissed Cedric, it was like receiving a kiss from death.

I couldn’t discern what was real or fake. All I know is that these memories were mine and I intend to take them back, even if some of them are too horrifying to watch. The dreams and nightmares often end in a blank slate whenever something stirs me up or cuts my sleep. Cedric often calls my name whenever my eyes flutter open, merely to stare up at the lights and his unreadable face before slipping back into the unconscious world.

“Cedric, do you want to date? For real?”

Choking on his martini, Cedric cleared his throat as best as he could while I reached down to grab a napkin for him to wipe his lips. Once he was finished, he blinked his eyes and repeated my question. “Date? Whatever do you mean, Reese?”

A beautiful evening it was, eating and drinking under the stars in a lovely restaurant. Picking a secluded spot where no prying eyes could see was the best choice, considering how there were plenty of women after Cedric once he debuted into high society. Within five months of knowing him, my view of him hasn’t changed and he was indeed the man of my dreams. Strong, dependable, and handsome. There was no other man who could reach his standards and I intend to have him all by myself in any way—by helping his business flourish through stealing information from his competitors.

It wasn’t an easy task and a lot of flirting had to be done before I could get a minuscule info that Cedric could use to his advantage. But whenever he flashed that smile, those worries and exhaustion melted away in an instant.

“I mean what I say, Cedric,” I whispered, sloshing my wine around the glass. “We’ve been hanging out for a few months, and I couldn’t hide my special feelings for you anymore. I think I will go crazy if I do that for another day.” Putting the glass down, I glanced up at him with a sweet smile. “So, I want to try dating you… If you feel the same way?”

“You think I don’t feel the same way, Miss McKenzie?”

A smile broke out of his lips after a teasing tone, nodding softly at my words. Elated, I was sure my heart would burst out of my chest as I felt a joyous scream about to bubble out of my throat if I didn’t hold onto the table.

But who could blame me? Cedric Dixon just agreed to be my boyfriend. Anything gold or dripping with diamonds couldn’t compare to a single moment spent with him.

“Yes, I need to transport her to the hospital in Auburn City.” Cedric’s voice woke me up from a brief memory, my eyes glossy with tears as I was met with the harsh light of the hospital room. Another dream has been interrupted. What I have gathered so far was Cedric and I met at a party three years ago. His company didn’t have a huge impact back then, and my parents were up on the social ladder. That the Richardsons owned the Grand Mari Hotel, and I was madly in love with Cedric Dixon. He and I dated after I asked him to give it a try, to which he agreed. But that didn’t explain why I was calling back for him under the heavy rain nor why it kept resurfacing akin to a broken record repeating the same tune over and over again.

I had to find out, or I will go crazy.

“I saw your boyfriend with the Richardsons yesterday,” Father stated after sipping his warm espresso. The sound of newspaper flapping softly in the background along with the chirping of birds. “It seems he and Francesca are friends. Do you know that?”

Scoffing at the idea, I shrugged. “I don’t see why it’s a problem, Dad. If he wants to become friends with the Richardsons, it’s probably to boost his image. It’s good for his company, too.” Breakfast in the garden under the warm sunlight on such a fine day was Mom’s idea, saying that we had to put the space to good use. Paying for the gardener would seem irrational if we didn’t use it as she said. “Why do you have to rove around him like a hawk?”

“Because, my dear Reese, he might be dating you for show. I’d hate to see you heartbroken because he’ll rather chase that heiress and leave you for—”

Slamming my palm on the table, it shook the plates and other porcelains. Mom and Dad’s eyes went wide at my actions, not expecting me to do so as I huffed. “He won’t do anything of the sort! Cedric loves me and I love him—better than any woman in Auburn City!”

“Reese, you don’t have to shout.” Mother stated calmly, paying no heed to my stammering father. “If you do have faith in Cedric and trust that he won’t cheat on you, then that’s it. Your father is merely looking out for you, my child. Heavens know it would be a huge embarrassment if he does anything to tarnish our name. You’re dating him, so whatever he does is going to reflect on you—remember that well.”

Nodding stiffly, I took one last sip of my coffee before rising from my seat. “I trust Cedric, Mom. You and Dad have nothing to worry about. If you can’t let your restless hearts be at ease, then I probably should marry him. Maybe then you won’t have to worry about your daughter since she will be well cared for by none other than the famous Cedric Dixon!”

My father looked like he was about to get a stroke any second after my bold statement.

“Leave her alone, Nicholas.” Mother mumbled at him for he threatened to take me by the ear. “It is her life. Whatever happens, we must be ready to squash this Cedric Dixon.”

“Reese, talk to me…” Resting his hand above mine, Cedric whispered at my unmoving form. It wasn’t that I couldn’t move, but everything ached, especially my head. The doctor who visited a few hours ago stated that although my head was knocked badly, there weren’t any severe damages aside from my broken arm. Still, I refused to talk or speak a word at the man in front of me. Feigning ignorance as he repeatedly asked me to answer him.

“Can’t you even say one word? I miss talking to you…” Lifting my uninjured hand, he pressed a kiss on it. It took every ounce of my dignity not to pull away and slap him on the face in retaliation. Nevertheless, I sat there stiffly as his worried features were in full view. There was no way I would get fooled again by him.

I refuse to use my voice until I regain all my memories because, for all I know, he might resort to drastic measures in case I remember a crucial fragment of the past. Specifically, as to how he is involved in the car accident and why he had to kill my parents.

“What?” The announcement made by my mother caused me to pause in my tracks and turn to her in astonishment. “George Richardson is selling the hotel? Why on earth would he do that? Has he lost his mind?”

The news of George Richardson going bankrupt broke out, causing a stir in the public and amongst other businessmen. The Grand Mari Hotel was known to bring in plenty of revenue for its fame, so upon hearing the owner filing for bankruptcy was indeed a shock to anyone. Although the thought of Francesca lacking funds was entertaining, the Grand Mari Hotel closing was anything but fun.

“Based on the information I gathered, he loaned a few of his stocks to multiple businesses, and unfortunately, those didn’t work out well.” Mother sighed, flopping down on the armchair to prop her chin on her hand. Seeing my worried stance, she chuckled humorlessly. “Don’t be so surprised, dear. The man has been living a lifestyle fit for an emperor and doesn’t think too much while he spends. Paired off with a daughter who keeps attending lavish parties and flying around the world, it’s no wonder he has run out of money due to his recklessness. I wonder how Danica hasn’t lost her wits yet with such a husband and daughter.”

“B-but we will be affected if the hotel will be out of business! If we can’t gather anything worth paying for, then we might go back to our former boring lives—I don’t want that! I don’t want to become someone unfit for Cedric!” Bursting out in tears, I buried my face into the palm of my hands at what seemed to be a hopeless situation. “I don’t want to lose him to another woman! I fought hard to keep his attention on me and have used everything in my power to shoo every woman who ever looked his way. I can’t lose him along with our wealth! How will I survive?!”

Cedric and I have dated for a year and everything was smooth sailing as far as I could tell. Promising to support his business and helping him out with anything was making him happy. All of this was possible for we had the money—I had the money to keep him from leaving me and going off to another woman who has more wealth than I ever could have. To hear that our source of income was being threatened felt like my relationship was in a fast-sinking ship. Without any money, I couldn’t afford to go out on dates with Cedric nor be able to be there for him. What’s more, he has become more successful and if he sees that I am no longer a fit for his standards, he might cast me away like a used tissue. “Oh, what should we do, Mom? I can’t go back to that life—I have grown so accustomed to being wealthy that I can’t see myself going back to work and becoming an employee—”

“Quiet, Reese. You’re being overly dramatic! It’s not the end of the world, so stop crying and pull yourself together.” Mother scolded, then sighed once more at my sobbing face. “You’re just like your father, jumping to conclusions as soon as you can. If I weren’t around, what would happen to you two, huh? You’ll probably end up like the Richardsons, for all I care.” Rubbing her temples, she grumbled. “If we want to continue doing this, we have to act fast. Perhaps there’s a way to keep the Grand Mari Hotel from sinking along with its captain. It’s a very important place for many socialites and businessmen alike. Plenty of opportunities and dreams were born from there. No one would let it go to waste after its notable reputation has been known for years. Perhaps…” Humming to herself, Mom appeared to be deep in thought.

“Perhaps, what Mom?”

Glancing at me, she grinned. “What if we buy the hotel ourselves? Now wouldn’t that be just the icing on top of our cake?”

Hospital food wasn’t as appetizing as I thought but was bearable enough to consume. However, I do miss the usual meals I had at home or the coffee I brew every morning to wake me up after long exhausting nights. What made me look forward to meals wasn’t because of the food, but it was the only time Cedric isn’t around. He seemed to share the same sentiment as I did, going out whenever it was time to eat instead of joining me. He even as far as tempting me to eat the food he brought back from whatever restaurant he went to have lunch in. But it never fazed me, not wanting to speak to him.

And it was the only time he allowed a nurse to accompany me.

“D-do you speak English?” I inquired once when we were left all alone. She merely smiled and said only a little. She was my source of information. Through her, I could keep track of what day it was and what was going on outside. It has been three days since Christmas Eve and since I fell down the stairs. Thanking my lucky stars that I didn’t slip into another coma; I was still stuck inside. Yet, it was better than to sleep for a long period of time once more without knowing what day it was.

Apparently, I was to be moved to another hospital soon back in Auburn City the following day after a few more examinations were done to see there wasn’t any internal bleeding or any other damages to my head. After eating, I went back to sleep after observing the outside world through a window.

“Dear, will you please try and calm yourself down? There are plenty of dresses in the store for you to pick!” Mother groaned in exhaustion as she sat down in the comfortable cushioned seat as she stared at me grumbling at the expensive designer clothes presented by the ladies. “We’ve been circling the mall for half an hour already and tried on every dress we could possibly find. There’s no way I would go to another mall and follow you around all day!”

“But there isn’t anything that I found fancy and elegant! These are all fit for an old lady who has no sense of fashion or is either too small for me.” Turning to the woman who has been standing still beside me, I quirked an eyebrow at her. “Surely there are other clothes in the back?”

“N-no, Ma’am. The clothes in the storage are meant to be put up next week to go along with the fashion week to be held on Thursday—”

“Great, new clothes. Bring them all out, would you?” I tossed the flimsy green dress at another lady and sat down beside my tired mother. “I need to be the first one to wear them at this amazing party next week. I can’t risk matching another girl; that would just be too humiliating.”

“But—”

“Do what she says,” Mom interjected, fishing out her wallet and wadding cash in front of the store clerk. “I’ll pay twice the amount. Just make sure no one knows, or you’ll find yourself sleeping in the gutter the following day.”

The woman instantly took the cash and hurried off. With a pleased grin on my face, I stood up and began searching for heels to buy. My eyes caught a pink one with ribbons until I caught Cedric Dixon running past the store with a huge grin on his face through the glass window. Ignoring my mother calling for my name, I ran as fast as my legs could carry to catch up to him until he went inside Tiffany & Co’s store.

As if in a trance, I watched him intently as he smiled at the woman behind the glass and began picking out what seemed to be rings—

Engagement rings.