Chapter 3 Unexpected Visitors

It's been years. Weseleine's life now have been peacefully lined straight on the category of ordinary. Quiet, tiring and legally exhausting; she would never have it replaced back at the dark days. But her mind starts to buzz enthusiastically just like then, wasn't out of joy nor excitement what would every other man sometimes feel. It had return on flashing slides with vivid colors making a ringing sound on her ears, her heart ramming on its place, breath hitching with blood running cold—horrifying memories are all what she is seeing.

It's deeply suffocating, muscles closing in on her throat. Air being sucked out of you is never a fun experience and Weseleine had no choice but to make great acquaintances with it through the years. Her mind is void to any logical thinking for the situation, eyes unfocused as it raked every corner of the small space where she's helplessly looking for something she doesn't know and the beads of cold sweat trickling down her nape gave her a shuddering touch within her soul.

/"Are you mad?! She'll better sell off her organ than to be clinging on you!"/

Right, /'breathe...'/, she needed to ground herself.

Weseleine desperately go for a sprint on the switch of her vision to cut her unhealthy stare on the black hole in front. Focusing instead on circulating air back on her system. A successful way to calm herself, always.
Her body scampers away from the tremor as she staggers back from the door. Absent-minded about her coat slipping within her grasp, Weseleine halts and took a quiet step to pick it up as to not attract any kind of attention to the souls inside. Aching to flee away quickly as she can. Yet a shriek came to the living off her throat that got eaten by the loud wail of music further down before another yelp of surprise followed through inside.

Weseleine saw dull flashes of neon lights on her peripheral vision, they're at the end of the long corridor that everything sounds so agonizingly distant. She didn't plan to got herself roughly pressed to the door she's only staring at with terror earlier. She's so out of it that the striking noise of dress shoes on the tiled floor coming from behind didn't reached her ears. Her hand fell into complete immobilization, painfully twisted atop the bag she have on her back and cheek flat against the designed surface of the wood that she hisses to her attacker—it fucking hurts.

/"G-guys! Didn't I tell you you can't—!"/

/"Come inside and please me, Jhiro"/

She's expected—Weseleine curses anyone she can for having her life be more ruined—there's no escape route here even if she had the chance to plan one.

In a blink of an eye, Weseleine felt like a hole had breathlessly vacuumed her whole as she lost the center of her gravity. Entering the warm room without warning when the door decides to not support her weight anymore. She harshly met the cruel floor, expression crumpling at the slap of her face on the extended cold tiled floor and on the electrocuting pain traveling across her shoulders. Not to mention the unknown fucker who's now stepping at her small back with her hand still being pulled back.

"Oh my—! Weseleine—! Let the woman go!"

Chesly jump in an instant to her rescue. The small petite body she possess had all the difficulty in the world on pushing off the man above her. She soon up right Weseleine that also wasn't an easy task even if it's just on a sweat-less sitting position.

Weseleine took notice on her ragging breath, confused and mentally stabbing the man inches closer to her when she can't get a hold of solid bar about her situation. Seconds prior she have all the access on her limbs but now nothing seems to be listening to her brain's command. Almost tripping them both on her five inches killer heels as they hauled themselves up, Weseleine dragged Chesly unannounced to the nearest wall she can lean on. Her body unexpectedly turned into a sack of potatoes, legs failing her big time that she had no choice but to slid down the wall to sit in the most uncomfortable way.

Feeling none of the muscle constriction is just so frustrating.

"Weseleine, up! Come on! Up!"

Warmth starts to crawl from her hips up to her chest that it became more irritating rather than soothing under this weather. Nonetheless, against all what this unexplainable sensations she is experiencing, Weseleine still is granted to have access on her eyes that she managed to look at the man proudly standing beside her with fear clawing in her chest as he closes the door.

Of course, her hunch never once failed her.

"Ah~ dear girl! I thought you'll stood us up, Wesly"

It's supposed to be a tooth-decaying tone, a cheery greeting of an old friend she had never seen in a while. Must be sunshine and rainbows before her dilating vision but the wide smile directed to her is nothing but a shuddering view that brought memories back with such clarity like it only happened yesterday. A sickening reminder that would make her stomach turning upside-down with bile rising up to her throat. She never wanted to look back at any single one of it yet here she was, suffering from that mere small curve of lips.

The building's manager is quick to crouch before Weseleine's heap of body. Draping her arm across her shoulder and tried once again to stand her up onto her feet but to no avail. Weseleine's gaze is not leaving the eye-burning image of the beaming smile that still is plastered on the scarred face of the other albeit it's getting a bit troublesome for her now blurring eyesight.
She's not a bit interested on carrying her own weight at the moment.

"Why are you here?"

It was supposed to be a demanding, full-of-malice tone but there's not much strength left on her and now they had fallen into complete silence. The music rampaging meters out the door is nothing but a whisper across the tension inside the room. The clock ticking above somewhere inside drills deep within Weseleine's mind who's trying to lever her sanity to Chesly as silence got prolonged by the addressed man.
Memories are only there for reminiscing, not to let it haunt you for years and years. Weseleine should have known better, should have been wiser to not get her hopes up of completely cutting her relationship to him.

"What?"

Comes the mock surprise and hurt of him.

"No 'nice to see you' or 'it's been a while, how are you'? Come on, don't be like the weather"

Then there was it. The one thing she never once wanted to have a glimpse of again. The taunting-kind curve of lips that made all her inside shake and her heart ricocheting up her throat. The same face and expression she had seen before and after she tainted her own hands. It's too gruesome, the glinting eyes and satisfied smirk is too much for her own good. But weakness is not something Weseleine will let be easily witnessed by others, especially by this psychotic of a man.

"I don't have enough stupidity to be concerned about how are you doing"

She bite back with all the energy and courage she still have.

"Rude you are, Wesly, rude you are"

She has restraints on her body. Alcohol are all washed out of her system yet chains are once again pinning her down on the floor with a weight on her chest that made her vision stir due to lack of oxygen.

"Weseleine?! No—no , Weseleine! What did you do to her?!"

"Oh...nothing that dangerous, I only drugged her so..."


°°°°°


"You're finally awake! Wonderful"

Weseleine roughly gasp for air. Her lungs not happy from too much antiseptics on the air circulating around the room. It's bright, the incandescent light burning her irises is enough for her mind to wake up that the first voice she heard isn't among her co-worker's but inevitably belonged to the last person she ever wanted to see. Maybe nightmares aren't all just the product of unconsciousness.
She blinks back from the offense, the white walls of the room didn't do much on soothing her nearly blind state for it bounces the light glaring from above. But it's warm, the scent of antiseptics mingled with the heated air relaxes her tensioned body that quickly stiffened back when her mind supplies that she wasn't alone and very much being watched by hawk eyes.

"Now wakey-wakey! I'll let you speak to her until everything clears up for you before we discuss about your payment. Mrs. Gevry"

Weseleine heard his words like she's underwater, pushing herself up from the floor that left her with an achy back. The wall on her side felt cold against her clammy palm as she found support on it, head boarding on a fluffy cloud that's having a very windy performance along the whistle of air. The feeling of being woken up from a brutal bad dream sends invisible needles on her nape, mind on full alert but body still at the slow process of waking up.

Maybe she's still dreaming.

"Sweety?"

Accidentally hitting her head on the wall paired with a heavy beat in her chest made everything still and real.

Weseleine stops halfway of uprighting herself into a comfortable sitting position, muscles felt all sore suddenly that it's quite a mission to do so, when a honey-laced voice whispered across the torturous room. All Weseleine's thoughts vanished from that one word. Throwing the questions out the window from how will she outsmart the monster and escape with hopefully still an intact body to why Prendo suddenly seeks her although she had no more debt to pay lest her working in a job that is morally legal.

Weseleine snaps her head on the opposite side of the room, choking on nothing in particular. Her legs suddenly pleases her, remembering how they function as she scrambles near the bed residing on a corner near a curtained window. She reached up with disbelief heavy on her back, hand visibly trembling as it hovered above the palest arm she had ever seen. The hand attached to it had a needle connected to a dextrose that from looking at it you can feel for your own self the pain the other is currently feeling.

She gawk with bulging eyes, not wanting to believe what's displayed before her stinging eyes.

"M-mom?"

Her pitched voice tears the heavy fabric of silence around them, swallowing the sob that's threatening to escape to not further bother the serenity on the room. Weseleine knelt frozen beside the sturdy bed, tears just at the rim so shy to fall down as she carefully travel her gaze on the latter's body. It's carefully covered by the crisp blanket but the figure patterned to it is still as horrible. All of a sudden, she felt so small against the length of the bed and the fluttering eyes of her mother.

"Sweety... Weseleine, what—y-you're here"

It was a devastating sight. Like when she was a little girl wailing on her mother's lap after some big bad bullies stole her lollipop. Only this time she's not screaming as she tells how they stole it and pushed her down the dirt, instead tears came onto freely cascading down her pale reddened cheeks with her throat pushing down the loud sob back in her body. Face hidden to the mocking glare of light as she hides onto the comfort of her shaking hands. No treats stolen from her little hands but the health and beauty of her beloved mother.

"I didn't think Prendo would really come after you"

"Why? Why didn't I know? What's hurting you now?"

Her voice cracks as the blistering wind howls outside. It's in the middle of November and Weseleine sits there with only her jogging pants and hoodie atop a sleeved shirt. It's quite cold even with the heater but the warm liquid sliding down her cheeks is enough to feel the hell of the situation. Tip of the branches loudly scratches on the far edge of the glass window as her mother gave a rueful smile on her direction, urging her to lay on the bed too. That she did obediently, wordlessly climbing under the blanket and snuggling closer to her mother's body. Heat immediately engulfs her when a limp arm draped on her middle and the fabric tucked up to her neck.

It's been a while.

"It's already been over a month. I don't want to add up on your responsibilities because I'm not"

She breathes out heavily, missing even more the perfume she always use when there's nothing but hospital scent lingering on her skin.

"You're my mother, you're one of my priorities, not responsibility, one way or another"

Weseleine pulled her head back enough to make distance between their faces. Dry tears stretching down her ear with burnt eyeballs from the salt water. Her brows furrowing from the statement of her mother and the spent sigh product of her stubbornness. She can see veins in and out of sight traveling around her temples.

"What happened to you? Even more, why'd Prendo dragged me here—"

She cut herself amidst the confusion.

Weseleine blinks to not dry her eyes more as she tried to catch the gaze of her mother when everything fully sinks in her mind. The loose embrace she's been receiving from her mother's arm and the blanket suddenly felt oppressive. The warmth that earlier relaxes her for how long she misses her now became too much hot yet blood had gone to borrow the weather.

"I have no words! I tried to appeal my body or organs—"

"Stop—No"

Silence. It should be deafeningly silent but her heart is running a mile away with a thundering beat next to her ears.

The new batch of tears quickly escapes the rim but she harshly wipe it with her hand. Angry frown drawn on her chapped lips as she noisily pushed herself up away from the stiff mattress. Cursing her body that's still under the influence of the drug that had been injected onto her side that until now stings. She let her feet meet the floor as she sits at the edge of the bed back facing to her lone company. Eyes blankly staring at her vague reflection on the window that the branch continuously scraping onto. It's a faint screeching sound staining the quietness they had fell into. Unnerving and uncomfortable though no one dared to break it for Weseleine feared she'll only spit words that's she will regret later and to her mother, reason still is unknown.

Weseleine felt hurt and useless and no worth at all at how her mother call help from someone rather than her own daughter who will sacrifice everything for her.

Shame.

Their noiseless atmosphere soon got interrupted when the door bursts open with so much enthusiasm. However, neither of the two go with the trouble of looking who entered knowing very well who would do something just as scandalous like that.

"Yes, yes! A long awaited reunion after five years but sadly I have to cut it short"

It was brief but enough to make her blood boil in an instant by how the new comer made a quick eye contact through the reflection of them on the window showing a sly smirk on his face that made him look like a maniac ready to commit an unforgivable sin.

"Mrs. Gevry if you wouldn't mind I'll borrow your daughter for a quick second to discuss some...business that both of us will surely have the benefit of"

It was again the sickening view of that wide smile across the aged face of the other that made Weseleine grit her teeth and freed herself from the hands of Jhiro who pulled him up to her full height.

"If you'll warmly excuse us"

The previous lack of cooperation from her limbs due to the damage of the liquid forcedly injected to her went away as she picked her neglected bag on the floor and walk in quick strides out the small room without another glance to her mother to find herself a lone door to enter. She needed somewhere place where she can sort her wild thoughts out.

Weseleine breathes out.

"Give me a year"

Her immediate words once two figures went to open the door on the stairs. She's halfway down looking at the steep steps, gripping the railings so hard her knuckles turned paper white. The small window up the wall in her front overlooked the moon that's hiding behind some stray clouds. Stars brightly looking at them three inside the dim lighted stairs. Too bad she isn't here to enjoy the view fully.

"A year? For?"

Weseleine moisten her lips, also tightly gripping to the sudden braveness she had acquired before looking up to the man with a scar on his left jaw. His piercing ocean-deep irises felt like swords slicing her into halves from how much intensity it have only from the stare he gives. His stance is dominating in every possible way, looking her down like a bug ready for him to step onto without another word of mercy. She swallowed from the coldness of his tone, almost cowering back as chills run down her spine that nearly buckled her knees if not for her death grip on the metal next to her.

"A year for paying the money you spend on her"


°°°°°


"Yes! I'm already at the hospital father! I'll just wait her out here"

Sebastian huffs out that went icy from the cold. His freezing thumb pressed the end call button before placing his phone back to the safety of his coat's pocket.

He had no choice. Sebastian needed his phone to communicate with his trusted secretary back in his own company to reschedule the meeting with Mr. Han. But of course after he sleeps in under the thick covers of his room and have his brunch out the open park near the hotel. He just begrudgingly fed his phone some electricity that the second it came back to the living a mass of missed calls and texts attacks his eyes and ears. Slapping him out his imagination of a free man into the reality of his demanding work.

Sebastian places his hand back inside the warmth of his glove. The numerous lights coming from the building's windows casts him a dull light where he stands just below the stairs of the entrance of the hospital. He was about to sit on the bottom step because he still have to wait for a couple of minutes before his mother will be vomited out by the building when a heavy sound of a booted foot startled him. So instead of landing his bottom safely on the concrete stair that he had freed of snow, Sebastian painfully landed on his right butt cheek as someone came jumping over the four steps and begun to run out the premises of the place. He blinks back in shock as he dumbfounded-ly stared to the retreating back of a woman. Mind working on how stupid the other might be for she can literally landed on the slippery part of the road and break some bones.

"Sebby?"

Sebastian came out in his trance before looking up to the glass doors of the hospital's entrance. Firstly because of the hideous nickname he had been addressed on and second because the voice is familiar to him. With his bottom numb and incident out of his mind, he stood up to right himself and ascended the stairs.

"Uncle!"

He enthusiastically greeted which the latter mirrored back with another call of his nickname that the other himself made especially for him. Sebastian almost falling again when he stepped on the wet part of the steps.

"Ah, my boy! Fancy to see you here!"

They shared a quick embrace.

"I haven't seen you lately! How have you been? The last time I saw you was in the gathering that you quickly escaped out"

"Oh, don't make me remember. I dreaded that party so much. Can you believe that woman have the guts to slap me when she was the one who made herself looked like a fool?"

Sebastian can't help but guffaw out from the memory. The woman who attended with his uncle as a plus-one was indeed a hot chick though it was a surprise that she also was a hot-headed one when she continuously drained every wine glass she can see.. His uncle Qyros needed to pull her to the side of the venue to talk but he ended up getting slapped paired with a spoiled suit. Sebastian has all the luck to watch the hilarity of it all. The disbelief and disgust on his uncle's face is a priceless one that it's staying rent free on his phone's gallery. The only good thing at that time for his uncle was that it was a private celebration that no medias are allowed and only close friends and partners are there.

"Now, now, don't laugh at my misery. It's making me feel bad. Why are you here anyway?"

He released a lungful of air to control his laugh, too much joy cursing on his veins from only thinking about it.

"Mom's here, 'm waiting for her"

And with that words turned his cheeky grin into a frown. The unexpected meeting chased the spent sigh earlier but now that he was reminded about it he can't help but huff out of annoyance.

Sebastian can't believe that his mother really did went far as to following him here.

She called two hours ago to fill him that she just got out of plane and is expecting him to come and pick her up. She blabbered on about how she can't sleep because the plane went into some turbulence that made her panic and the reasons why she was here in the first place. The first one is because his father wants him to manage the new building they had acquired under the Llaso Corp. He was expected to run it for a year or so before the managing can be passed down to someone his father can trust. It wasn't really that of a problem and he'll fully agree within a heartbeat since he knew his father won't ask for a favor without everything being spick-and-span but the thing that made him want to reconsider his choice was the fact that his mother is planning to have Sebastian and that model woman have a bunch of lunch date since the other was also at the city for a project. It should be bearable if it's only lunch dates but his mother made it impossible as she insisted to buy him a condo just floors up where the woman live.

Sebastian can't erase the merry tone of his mother as she talks to someone on another phone on how will the payment on the condo would be. It shouldn't surprise him but still.

"Really? What gives?—your frown is awfully ugly. Is she plotting something again?"

The tables have drastically turned much to his displeasure, now he was the one being teased on.

"Don't start!"

Sebastian exaggerated his frown for show before breaking into a grin when the other laugh at his antics.

"Well, why not have her first night here out of her true intentions. Let's have dinner? I know a good restaurant just around the block. Your mother isn't allergic to anything, wrong?"

He shook his head as an answer for the last question thrown at him, grateful for the latter's gesture of pushing back the inevitable as he looks up at the serene sky where stars are blinking down beautifully at him.

"I trust the problem at the finance department is already taken care of, Jhiro. You can go now if there is no more to fix, goodnight boy"

Sebastian gave a curt nod as an answer to the respectful bow of the other, gaze following the bundled man gracefully descending down the stairs with still a pristine look. Not a single hair out of his head's premises even there's a wind eager to ruin it. Sebastian quickly lost sight of the retreating back of the man as his vision stopped at the last step of the cemented stairs. Head rewinding the incident only minutes earlier. His brows furrow from it, not entirely sure about it but he thinks he had seen the woman somewhere before.

"Sebby it's cold out there"

He blinks back, cutting his self from the trance he had fallen into. He shook his head, stopping himself from thinking too deeply again. He just probably saw her at some point when he was wandering out the neighborhood after lunch.
Sebastian turned around and carefully made his way to the opened glass doors of the hospital's entrance to not accidentally slip and hurt himself.