Once Upon a Time

Thirty-four....

***

"You think? Can you be more formal please?" Daniel was first to speak up. "If you know then quit beating around the bush."

"I tried calling her yesterday way before I heard the news about her kidnapping."

"Well, did she pick up?"

Clara hesitated. "I mean she did pick up but it was like she didn't even know that she did," Clara looked at the worried family. "I think she dropped her phone or something because I heard a crash then the line went dead."

The whole family almost gave out worried sighs. Daniel combed his hair in frustration for the nth time that day.

"But, I have a friend. He was our high school friend, he majored in information technology and he was able to help me out last night. Though it cost me alot." Clara told them.

"Well how much do you want then? A million?" Daniel frowned.

"If I wanted money first, I wouldn't have told you a lot before hand Daniel. She's my cousin Daniel and I would do anything for her." Clara said.

"I hope so Clara. I do hope so."

"My friend was able to track the last point of the call but i only recognized one building. A cemetery down the road, it was the only building near it." Clara said.

"A cemetery?" Frederick spoke up immediately. "What was she doing near a cemetery?"

"Does she perhaps have a friend or relation that passed away Mrs. David?" Darius asked. The rest of the family looked at her, and they all knew the answer to that.

---

Mia David.

"She was my daughter, lost her on her final year to college entry. I can only say that her relationship with her sister was quite on the edge."

"Either you aren't the best mother then," Kara said to her and the other woman rolled her eyes sassily. "Or you just didn't remember that it was her remembrance."

"Only because it wasn't her remembrance!" Lisa told them.

"What?"

"For goodness sake, it's high time you stopped seeing me as one selfish mother that only thinks about herself, I'm only here because I care!" Lisa blurted out.

"Well that wasn't the case!"

"Kara!" Frederick blurted out immediately. Even him was stressed up enough to hear another tantrum. "We all gathered here to see what information that we have at hand and you think it is the appropriate time to pick a fight!" The woman sighed before walking upstairs. This was exactly what she was preventing.

A miscalculated plan.

Eyes follow her movements and that made the meeting for the day adjourned to God knows when.

"Daniel can I talk to you?" Clara's words made him slowly retreat in his steps before turning to her.

"What is it?" Daniel asked looking less interested like she presumed. She looked around only to lock eyes with Audora who could only glare at her but walked away. She went over to Darius who had begun a conversation with one of the police officers that had come with him.

"Daniel I-"

"Make it quick," He stuck his hands in his pockets leaning further into the cushion behind him.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry for everything that ever happened." She started off. "I didn't know it would turn out like this. I shouldn't have been so selfish."

"When did you realize this? I mean I'm surprised as to why you aren't happy with the fact that you managed to separate your cousin from me."

"Why should I be happy? For goodness sake Daniel, she is my cousin!"

"Did you realize that now? Maybe the reason you came back was because you came back for everything you lost, am I right?"

"No you're not!" He raised a brow. "I came back to rectify my mistake. I know that it wasn't right that I took off like that but i...I did it because-"

"Because what?"

"I did it because I had feelings for Nicholas okay?" He scoffed and she frowned. "Plus, I knew my cousin was in love with you." Clara finished.

Daniel frowned. "So you knew all along?" And she nodded.

"Not only that I also knew that you had feelings for her too. I thought I would be doing each one of us a favour. When I agreed to run away and abandon my whole life, I didn't do it because I felt like. I did it because it was what was best and I thought nobody would be hurt at the end." She said with a forced smile. He read a different meaning to her statement and frowned the more.

"And what do you mean by that?"

She looked away from him. She didn't know how to quite put it. Not that her feelings were complicated, the situation was.

Something played different when it was her than when she saw them at the park that night.

She watched them since the beginning of their date and she found herself replaying every moment she had gotten to spend with Daniel.

It was much more different.

"What you are trying to say is-" he paused trying to get the right words to use. "Are you trying to say that you were never in love with me?"

Her attention darted to him immediately.

It seemed like it took the words out of her mouth but to her dismay, it wasn't quite how she wanted to put it.

She sighed. "Is there a better way to put it?" He shook his head in disbelief.

She took his hands from his pocket holding it firmly in hers as she tried to say something. But what she wanted to say didn't bother the brunette that now had her attention at them fully, Audora glared at the red head when her eyes found their joined hands. She looked away once again concluding that it couldn't be what she was thinking. Her brother couldn't stoop so low as to wanting her back.

"I mean, I did like you Daniel for a while. What we had was something people couldn't comprehend but I discovered something when I cheated on you that night. I never really understood myself and I started doubting if we were real, I guess we were not. Instead, I fell in love with someone who doesn't love me but that doesn't matter Daniel. I just hope we can still be friends and really, I am happy seeing my cousin as well as you happy." She breathed out finally getting what she felt off her chest.