CHAPTER 41

The entire second floor corridor was silent, save for the chirping of birds. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door in front of me.

“It’s not locked. Whoever you are, you can come in,” Seven stated gently, but I could still hear him. With the entire house so silent, It was impossible not to hear his voice.

I opened the door and entered, carrying the brown packet. The creaking sound of the door caused me to firmly close my eyes. I was not sure why I was being so cautious, given that we were the only two here.

Prior to approaching him, I surveyed the entire room, which, like mine, was mostly made of wood, with a large bookshelves on one side and a large vase near him. The window was large but closed, and the room was really cold due to the air conditioning.

The cold temperature made me think of someone.

I shook my head and approached him. His eyebrows were raised, he regarded me as I walked, but I ignored him and sat on the visitor’s chair. Seven was absorbed in a book, her hair was well coiffed, and he was wearing glasses.

“What do you need?” he asked. I bit my lip and fell silent for a little period; I was not sure if diving into the past was the best course of action, but I’d been thinking about this for more than a night. As I placed the brown envelope on his desk, Seven’s face furrowed. He gave it a brief glance before raising his eyes to mine.

“I...I need you to help me with something.”

“What is it?”

I opened the envelope in front of him and extracted the contents. Since I read its contents, my mind had been not quiet; not a day had passed without me, reading it again to ensure Pierre’s name was not there.

“How did you get these?” he asked as he examined the documents one by one. From the way he looked, I was guessing he was already aware of my case; it appeared as though I was the only person in this house who didn’t know about it.

“It’s stuck in our album in my room. Uh, I couldn’t sleep because of that; I simply want to know who that—”

“Aurie, the case is already closed. He was convicted and sentenced to prison ten years ago. He was condemned to life in prison and is currently incarcerated. Let us simply forget about the past and focus on the present.” He placed the papers back inside the brown envelope and averted his attention.

“He’s still alive?” I asked, my voice was trembling with surprise. I assumed he’d died already since...It had been a long time. He was also fairly elderly, and I assumed he perished in the jail. My interest was piqued even more now that I knew he was still breathing. Seven returned his gaze and nodded, as if apologizing for having stated he was still alive.

“I’d like to meet him and his family.”

“Why?” His brow pinched, as if he was running out of patience with me. “He’s your killer, Aurie. You shouldn’t care for him.” I would not going to back down until he agreed. At the moment, he was the only person who could help me. I knew that mom could help me greatly with this, but I didn’t want to cause her pain. This man was the one who shot me and killed my father, ensuring that mother would suffer every time his name was uttered.

“But I wanna know.” I fiddled with my hand and averted my look. He should help me, alright. I would not be able to determine who the fuck this dude was on my own; I didn’t have any connection to know him.

“Is it because of that man, Aurie?” he asked. I looked at him and immediately nodded. There was no point of denying it, Pierre was clearly the reason why I couldn’t sleep, as I had no idea who the family of the person who shot me was. I knew that the only link they had at the moment was their surnames, but I was still interested in pursuing it. What if they did really had a connection?

“Forget that man, Aurie. How many times have you declined to visit them in the last few days? If you truly do not want them to see you, then avoid any actions that could serve as a bridge for you to meet again.”

“I still want to know. Could you please help me, Seven?” I clasped his hand in mine and gazed at him imploringly. He gave a brief glimpse to my hand before sighing. He leaned against the backrest of the swivel chair and ruffled his hair, as though undecided whether or not to help me.

“I have some information, but it is insufficient to determine his background, because mama Aliana has not stated who his family are; he was immediately imprisoned after being found guilty.” Curiosity welled up in my heart as I heard what he said. He knew something?

“W-What do you know? Tell me right now, Seven.” Even though he hadn’t said it yet, my chest was already tight with nervousness. I hoped he wouldn’t mention Pierre’s name; I didn’t want to add another reason not to leave him because it would be difficult for the both of us.

“I overheard mama Aliana and your auntie discussing about the case the day you were shot. The shooting wasn’t for the people at the mall that day; it was specifically for your mother, Aurie. You weren’t the intended target, but you were the one who got shot.”

I pressed my eyes shut in response to what I heard. What? What was the reason? Mommy was an incredible woman; why on earth would they shoot my mom? My mother never looked down on someone.

“What else do you know?” I was curious about everything, including why he did that. I wanted to know who he was. Was he unmarried and without children?

“Nothing more; I was too preoccupied studying at the time to interfere with the case; I was too preoccupied watching over you.” I looked at him; he didn’t appear to be lying. It was possible that he was preoccupied with other matters because being a doctor was challenging; there was a lot to learn.

“Please help me to know more, Seven.” I stood up and approached him; he needed to help me; he was my only hope.

“All right, all right! You don’t have to kiss my cheek, all right? I’ll help you, geez.” I laughed as he pushed me away. There, there, I knew how to coerce you into allowing me.

Seven was quite averse to physical contact, as I discovered on the days we were both together. Even my mother, who was fairly close to him, he approached her only once. Even the maids, a few of his acquaintances who paid him a visit, and I. He was quite sensitive to people. However, if you speak with him, he was rather fun to speak with. Mommy also stated at the time that our maids were immediately drawn to him. The only thing he truly despised was being touched.

That was why, when we slept close to each other, there were so many pillows between us.

“Help me if you’re finished reading that one, okay?” I said, referring to the paper he had been reading prior to my arrival. I stepped up and picked up the envelope from his desk. I looked at him one more time before exiting the room.

“I’m expecting the complete truth, Seven; please don’t deceive me.” I opened the door and left his office. I had a hunch he would withhold information from me if Pierre was related to that man. I was not sure why, but perhaps he was considering how I would feel?

Oh no, my emotions were not valid in this investigation. I’d already moved on; all I was thinking about now was Pierre, how he’d feel and how his life would be if I was gone.

I entered my room silently and promptly lie on the bed. As the sun sets, the light in my room became extremely bright. I was not aware of the heat, as the air was too frigid for me to feel it.

I’d been missing Pierre and Iris a lot; mum wanted me to visit them, but I was not interested. Pierre, as well as Iris, would undoubtedly ask me numerous questions. I was not prepared to respond to them yet. This was also for them; I was hoping they would grow accustomed to my absence.

If I weren’t with them right now, the likelihood that they would be hurt when I left this world would be reduced.

That was the least I could do.

Time passed until nightfall, we were peacefully eating at the dinner table with Seven. Seven had his own house but he often stayed here. He was like a family so it was okay.

“You did nothing all day, sweetie. Why is that? I assumed we were savoring your remaining days?” Mommy asked, laughing. I chuckled gently and set the spoon down.

“I’m feeling sluggish all day, mom. I do, however, have a plan for tomorrow. I’m going to go outside.” As she watched me drink the water, I could see the enjoyment in her eyes. I could tell my mother was pleased with my decision since she was frequently smiling.

“Really? What are your plans? Yesterday, I heard you harvested several fruits. Do you recall our business at your father’s house? It’s still growing. You should visit it occasionally; you can pick a variety of fruits and plants there. There are a lot of flowers, actually. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a tourist attraction.” My two brows raised in response to what I heard. Really? I didn’t know that. When I was a child, we only visited once since mom was too busy. I could hardly remember what that place looked like.

“We should. However, mommy, I already have a plan for tomorrow. I’m going to pay a visit to my boyfriend.” Seven and her both nearly choked on their foods as I said that. I was anticipating that reaction, given my refusal to visit him during the last few days.

“Really? You’ve been refusing to visit them in recent weeks; why the sudden change of heart?” Seven inquired, eyebrow lifted.

“I’m missing him and would like to see him. That’s a valid reason, isn’t it?”

“O-Of course, dear. That’s a very valid reason. We all want to see the people we love when we are missing them.” Even in shock, mommy was able to respond to me. I was relieved; I had assumed they wouldn’t let me because the city was way too far from where Iris and me had previously lived.

“By the way, who’s coming with you? Seven?”

“N-No, of course not. Sev is busy, mama. I can go alone; I know the way.” Seven was about to say something when my eyes widened at him.

When I said I need his help, I meant that he would do this task entirely on his own. I was desperate to help, but because I had no idea what should I do, I believed I would only slow the process.

“Alone? Do you want me to accompany you?” she asked. Oh no, I wouldn’t let her go with me, I was sure I’d cry if I see Pierre, and I would not going to cry in front of my mother. Too embarrassing.

“I’m fine with just one driver, mommy; after all, it won’t take long.”

“All well, if you say so,” she answered, a bit hesitant. I continued eating and did not speak for the remainder of the meal. Tomorrow, I wouldn’t show myself to Pierre; I only wanted to know what he had been doing.

After I ate, I wasted no time and went to my bedroom. I needed to get a good night’s sleep because I would wake up early tomorrow.

I was wide awake the following morning, far before the sun rose. I watched as Miranda prepared the food; she was simply calm and absorbed in her work. She was the one who looked after me every day; she knew everything I was looking for, so I chose her to assist me every day among all the maids in this house. 

“How long have you been working here?” I inquired. She seemed so surprised, maybe because she didn’t appear to anticipate me to speak with her today.

I didn’t talk to her most of the time, that’s why.

“U-Uh, it’s just been a year; may I know why did you ask, ma’am?”

“You’re so young,” I answered. I averted my gaze and scanned the whole area. We were on the second-floor balcony, and there was a table where you could dine any time. The weather was dismal, and it appeared as though rain would fall at any minute. Combine this with the gloomy and chilly surroundings.

“Ah, I’ve had to work for my brother since my parents died.” I turned to her and examined her from head to toe. Miranda possessed the beauty; she was quite short but her skin was flawless.

“With that face, you could be a prostitute,” I said, pretending to be serious. I quickly laughed when I noticed her face became pale, as though she was unsure how to react to what I said.

“I’m joking. You can apply for a scholarship on behalf of your sibling. If not, you can always request to my mom to attend to his or her needs. My mother is not stingy; she will be overjoyed if your sibling does well in school. Consider Seven right now, a successful physician. Mommy was previously responsible for his education fees.”

“Oh, ma’am, Ma’am Aliana has aided us greatly; relying on her for my brother’s schooling is excessive.” I locked my gaze on her and leaned back in the chair’s backrest.

“Miranda, are you blind? I’m going to die shortly, and mom is nearing retirement age but is still making a good living. She is not only a lawyer; she is also a successful businesswoman. Even if she feeds all the city’s families, she will not be impoverished. Consider yourself a maid; I’m not saying that being a maid is something to be embarrassed of, but your wage will not allow you to send your sibling to a nice school. I overheard you speaking the other day; you’re a tenant, aren’t you? You pay rent on a monthly basis. You know, there are instances when you have to take advantage of something or someone as long as it is acceptable and does not cause them harm. Miranda, your pride will not cause you to mature significantly.”

She remained silent and continued organizing the food. I shook my head and immediately began eating.

Seriously, it wouldn’t hurt to ask for some help sometimes. Pride would not get you very far.

I would leave early to ensure that I would arrive home on time as well. Because I was not accompanied by a physician, it was somewhat unsafe for me to be alone with only a driver.

There was a lot of food prepared for my breakfast, but I ate it all. I needed to consume a large amount of food because as time passes, I felt as though my body was becoming weaker.

I returned to my room after breakfast. I was finished fixing myself, but I’d like to retouch my makeup. It appeared as though it was smudged earlier while I was eating. Even though I was not looking forward to showing myself to Pierre, I didn’t want to appear unattractive.

I stared at myself without emotion; my bangs were hidden, just as they were on Iris’ birthday. My face would absolutely be quite pale right now if I would not wear any make up. That had not changed since I returned here. My lips, on the other hand, were pink; it helped that I followed Dr. Williams’ advice for reducing my pallor.