"Yayyyy!" Emily claps her hands enthusiastically whilst following Thomas and their Uncle Nathan to his car. They are going to a supermarket as today is Sunday and the latter needs to buy some necessities for himself and at the same time, helps his niece and nephew to do some grocery shopping. The maids are supposed to do that, but they cannot because they do not work at Sundays, so the twins willingly volunteer themselves to do it. Plus, they want to spend some time with their youngest uncle who is always supportive and acts like a teenager sometimes.
Deep down, Emily is afraid to do this shopping session because it reminds her of when Freddy's friend, Peter Olsen saw her at a certain shopping centre and after bumping into Freddy, he trapped her, Thomas and Elizabeth in her mother's burning house, almost killing them. Although they are going to a different supermarket than the one where she saw the eagle-eyed friend, she is still concerned.
"Emily? Are you okay?" Nathan suddenly asks.
"Huh? Yeah," Emily snaps into reality and smiles reassuringly.
Nathan receives her answer with a shrug and gets into his car. Meanwhile, Thomas, who seems like he knows what his twin sister was thinking, stares at her suspiciously, making her raise her chin questioningly, yet accusingly at him. In return, he rolls his eyes and opens the car door at the passenger seat.
Emily brushes her recent thought off and sits at the back. She should not be worried or scared. Because she has Uncle Nathan who is a police detective and Thomas who had sworn to protect her. And also, the bodyguard who is following them from behind in his car.
Speaking of the bodyguard, Emily is getting used to his presence around her. He does a really good job of protecting her and Thomas. He follows them everywhere, except in the house and at school.
Other than that, she and Thomas had had a talk with their father about the bodyguards. He said that he decided to hire a few bodyguards for his twin children as there are a lot of threats and dangers around them, mainly. For example, Freddy. Not just that, the bodyguards also works to protect his other children.
Until now, there is no harm having the bodyguards around, so relax... Everything is going to be all right. Right?
*******
"This way, kids!" Nathan pushes a trolley, urging his niece and nephew to follow him.
Emily does so happily while Thomas folds his arms with an annoyed expression as he does not like to be treated like a little child.
The three of them walk together through the aisles and choose anything they want and need.
When Nathan is looking at a rack of toothbrushes and tubes of minty toothpaste, Emily goes to Thomas because her uncle is taking too much time choosing whatever he wants. He is a bit picky...
"Hey, what are you staring at?" Emily stands beside Thomas.
He does not answer, so she leans forwards to see what attracts his attention until he ignored her like that.
'Men's deodorant?' Emily tilts her head. She stares at the tins one by one until her gaze lands on the one she thinks she had seen before.
"Hey, I saw this one on the TV! The commercial that has the famous footballer........ I forgot what his name is. Anyway, you should use this. You will be as good as a professional footballer," Emily grabs a box of mentioned deodorant and puts it on Thomas' palm.
"Hmmm...." Thomas reads the description on the box with a creased forehead before turning at Emily.
"Milly, can I ask for your opinion?"
"Of course. What is it?" Emily moves closer as Thomas pulls her arm.
"Which one do you think smells better? This one or.........."
Emily waits for Thomas' next words whilst eyeing his hand which is swiping across the variety of canned deodorant on the shelf.
"........or the one that I have right now?" Thomas pulls Emily's shoulder towards him and puts her face under his arm.
"Wha--" Emily feels herself getting shoved forwards, causing her face to land right on Thomas' left armpit. She smells fresh, masculine cologne and deodorant.
"Let me go, you jerk!" Emily tries to push Thomas away, but to no avail as he tightens his grip on her head. She has no other choice but to punch his side repeatedly until he lets go of her. Her fists knock his ribs and his stomach. Eventually, he loosens his grip and she swiftly pushes him off and he staggers backwards before quickly composing himself.
"That's disgusting!" Emily grimaces. Although she had no direct contact with Thomas' armpit, thanks to his shirt, she still wants to wipe and wash her face. She looks around, hoping that nobody saw what Thomas did to her. Thankfully, there are just a few people who are minding their own business.
Thomas sniggers, making Emily hit his arm to shut him up. Immediately, she backs away as she is afraid that he might grab her and put her face under his arm again.
"So, which one smells better?" Thomas tilts his head innocently.
"Figure it out yourself!" Emily huffs and turns away, walking off further from her annoying twin brother. Thanks to him again, her hair gets messy like she has just gotten out of bed. Grunting, she fixes her brown hair, brushing it with her fingers and letting it wave naturally. She eventually arrives at a dairy section and then looks back. Thomas and Nathan are not too far away. Just a few metres. That is okay. She tries to forget what Thomas just did to her and enjoys the sight of wonderful dairy products.
A minute later, she feels hungry only by watching the wrapped packages. She just had a small portion of breakfast this morning, so she has a half full stomach right now. Looking around, she wonders whether there are people handing out free sample of food around her so that she can get some.
Her eyes literally shine as she notices a woman dressed in light blue apron carrying a white tray standing at a small table. She spots several paper cups on the tray, so she heads towards the woman.
The latter instantly notices Emily's presence as she stops a few feet from her and gives her a sweet smile.
"Hi, dear. Would you like to try some sample?"
"Yes, I'd love to!" Emily jumps on the tips of her toes excitedly. "What are these?" she gestures at the paper cups.
"Oh, these are yoghurt drinks. Taste one. It's very delicious!" the woman hands a paper cup of orange-coloured liquid to Emily.
"Thank you!" Emily beams and politely gulps all the content of the cup. Then, she licks her lips. The drink tastes like........peach?
Emily looks up to talk to the woman, but she has already gone. Maybe she walks around to hand out the free sample. Whatever it is, she is like a magician - appearing and disappearing out of nowhere.
After that, she tries to look for a rubbish bin to throw the paper cup away. She immediately notices one located by an emergency door, hence she saunters over to it.
After throwing away the cup, she feels light-headed and her sight swirls all of a sudden. She tries to ignore it and walks towards the place where she last saw Uncle Nathan, but her legs just turn into jellies. She sits on a chair which is coincidentally at the door and shuts her eyes.
'What is happening? Is it because I didn't eat much during breakfast?' Emily wonders and tries not to pay attention to the fact that she gradually starts to feel sleepy.
Suddenly, someone pats her shoulder and lifts up her chin. She cannot see who it is and she wants to stay away from any stranger, so she recoils.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Emily tries to focus her vision as soon as she heard the voice, but she fails. Her sight dangerously becomes blurry like a water-coloured drawing being splashed by a glass of plain water, making the colours disperse, dissolve and spread across every inch of the drawing block.
"Here, let me help you."
Emily feels someone pulling her up and leading her to somewhere unknown, until she hears the creaking sound of a door which means this person is taking her to the stairwell of the emergency exit.
"W-wait..." Emily utters and stops herself. Where is this stranger bringing her to? Her family is here, not at the outside. She wants to turn around and scream out for Thomas' or Uncle Nathan's name, and yet she feels terribly weak and feeble. She cannot do anything other than following the stranger. She feels so helpless and terrified right now.
"Shhh... Come on."
The person tightens the grip on Emily's arms, not letting her squirm or move around.
"No..." Emily tries to fight back with all her might and energy left.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Emily hears another unfamiliar voice.
'Please.. Help me..'
"Let her go now," the voice demands sternly and coldly.
There is an argument between them and Emily feels another pair of hands holding her and then the door slams shut.
"Emily!"
"What the heck happened?"
Emily cannot focus on anything around her. She barely sees or hears clearly. She just manages to sense the feeling. Especially when she is being handed to someone who has a pair of strong, yet gentle arms. They feel so familiar and the scent.............
"Tom?" Emily lifts up her head, trying to see clearer. Although it is not working, a voice just confirms her assumption.
"Emily, what happened?"
Thomas' concerned, yet firm voice makes Emily glad that she is safe. She knows this is Thomas, her twin brother. She knows it, just by breathing in his scent. The same one when her face landed on Thomas' armpit. Heh...
Anyway, Thomas' question remains unanswered as Emily lets the sleepiness take her away from the reality. She clings onto her twin brother's shirt, leans her head on his chest and drifts off.
Meanwhile, Thomas holds Emily tenderly like she is a kind of fragile doll as they both are seated on a same chair. He situates her on his lap, tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear and embraces her protectively. He does not fully understand what is actually happening, but their bodyguard, who saved her earlier from a dubiously mysterious man, said something about a drink.
*******
"He's trying to kidnap her again!"
"Are you sure that he planned all of this?"
"Who else, then?"
Emily hears voices around her, so she stirs and protests inaudibly, flipping from her back to her side and involuntarily brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Keep your voices down! You're waking her up."
Thanks to the latter, the room falls silent, though she can still hear hushed voices. Her eyes flutter open, seeing a pair of green eyes. The only person she can think of right now is Stephen. Wait.. This is not him.
"Shh... Go back to sleep," an elegant, feminine voice says, accompanied by a gentle stroke on her head, making her shut her eyes obediently and continue her journey back to the dreamland.
After what feels like an hour or so, Emily wakes up again. This time, alone in her bedroom. She sits upright and rubs her eyes before walking straight to the bathroom to wash her face. Sarah's stroke was so soothing when she briefly woke up and that made her happily went back to her deep sleep. Sarah is like an angel to her.
As she splashes the cold water on her face, she hears someone opening her bedroom door and a voice calling her name softly. She is too busy getting rid of the sleepiness in her eyes that she does not respond to the call. But then, she spots a shadow behind her, indicating that someone is standing at the doorframe of the bathroom. While drying her face with a clean towel, she turns around and faces her twin brother, Thomas.
"Hey, are you feeling better now?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.
"A bit," Emily shrugs, walks past Thomas and looks at the wall clock. It is evening now. She holds her grumbling stomach and groans.
"Hungry?" asks Thomas as he approaches Emily, earning a weak nod from her. "Let's go. Stephen is waiting for you downstairs," he grasps her arm, leading her to the door.
"Why? Am I in trouble?" Emily slightly pulls her arm, wanting to escape.
Thomas turns around with furrowed eyebrows. "Trouble? What..... No, he just wants to check on your condition."
Emily sighs in relief whilst going down the stairway. The twins head to the dining room where they spot their eldest stepbrother, Stephen eating a bowl of Caesar salad.
After making sure that Emily is sitting on a chair beside Stephen, Thomas goes to the kitchen to prepare some food for her.
Emily stares at the sophisticated frame on the wall which has a drawing of the scenery in Santorini, one of her favourite holiday spots. She daydreams of herself going there. Suddenly, Stephen breaks her perfunctory reverie by clearing his throat and dropping his fork with a clink. She turns to look at him.
"How do you feel?" Stephen asks seriously.
Emily gulps and scratches her head. She does not like it when Stephen acts like a strict doctor towards her. It makes her feel insecure and uncertain about doctors. She wants him to ask her gently and casually, like a loving father asks the well-being of his daughter. And now, Stephen is staring at her with his solemn gaze, waiting for her answer.
"I'm fine, I think."
Stephen distinctly nods, takes a gulp of water from the glass in front of him and returns to asking questions. "Do you feel anything weird about your body? Like, headache, drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth or throat or stomach pain?"
"Umm... No, but my throat is dry. Maybe because I'm not drinking any water yet," Emily shrugs and Stephen nods again.
"Based on your blood test, there is no excessive amount of drugs in your body. So, maybe you'll feel okay after this," Stephen says emotionlessly. He is not even looking at Emily properly and just giving her a cursory glance while he is talking and that saddens her.
"Wait.. You took my blood? When? Why?" Emily puts her arms on the table, trying to ignore her feeling.
"Not me. I was working at the time. Another doctor took it when you were sleeping. She wanted to analyse the type of drug that was in the drink and whether it's dangerous for you or not."
Emily just nods and stares at her legs.
"You didn't taste or smell anything weird when you drank the yoghurt?" Stephen asks, seemingly accusing.
Emily pushes Stephen's question aside and folds her arms childishly instead. "Why are you being like this?"
Stephen seems taken aback by Emily's sudden loud voice, but decides to raise an eyebrow instead. "Like what?"
"You asked me questions sternly, like a strict doctor. I don't like it when you're like this," Emily complains and mumbles the last sentence. She looks down and waits. Is he angry?
Stephen takes his time to digest the meaning of Emily's words and when he sighs, she slowly lifts up her head.
"Emily.. I'm not..." Stephen pauses for a moment. "It's just... I had a hard time at work and then, something happened to you. When I came home after work, you were still asleep and I thought that they put too much amount of drugs in your drink and you had overdosed on it."
Emily blinks her eyes innocently whilst staring up at Stephen. She wants to say something, but she does not know what words to use. Thus, she just listens.
"I was worried.." Stephen admits.
"I think I'm okay now," Emily says, reassuring herself and Stephen, who just shoots a thin smile.
Then, Thomas arrives with a tray, ending their conversation. He stops beside Emily and puts a bowl of creamy mushroom soup, a plate of toast and a cup of tea in front of her. She smiles delightfully and reaches out her hand to the cup of tea before he blocks her movement.
"Wait. Drink this first," Thomas hands a bottled water.
After drinking the water, Emily begins eating her meal. She notices that Thomas keeps staring at her while Stephen stays in his seat and texts with someone on the phone. She slowly turns and faces her twin brother.
"What? You want some?" she asks whilst pointing at the bowl of mushroom soup.
"No, no. Just eat. That's yours," Thomas shakes his head.
"I don't mind sharing," Emily mutters.
A few minutes later, she has finished her food and now, she slowly sips her tea while waiting for someone to speak up as she feels a tense atmosphere around her. She also spots Thomas and Stephen sending each other fleeting glances, like exchanging secret message through their suspicious eyes. What is actually going on? Why do they look so stressed and anxious? Is something unpleasant going to happen to her or anyone else?
Emily sighs loudly and it gains Thomas and Stephen's attention. She cannot handle being in a strained situation where everyone seems overwrought and depressed. The silence is killing her.
"What's wrong? You two seem......weird," Emily leans back and crosses her arms.
Thomas and Stephen look at each other before sighing. Emily raises her eyebrows, expecting them to give her answer.
"Well... We're glad that you're okay and......" Thomas scratches his head and glances at Stephen, silently asking for help.
Emily sighs and rolls her eyes heavenwards. "Do you hesitate to tell me something that you think will make me upset? Don't worry. Just tell me. I promise that I won't get angry at you."
Thomas and Stephen look at each other again before the latter replies, "We're not worried that you will get angry at us. We're just worried that you will be panic after hearing what we want to say".
Stephen's statement makes Emily feel anxious, so she unconsciously widens her eyes. "What is it?"
But then, she suddenly remembers someone. Her uncle whom she followed to the supermarket this morning with Thomas.
"Where's Uncle Nathan?"
Thomas is about to open his mouth to answer Emily, but the sight of his father, Andrew coming into the dining room stops him.
"Daddy," Emily whispers as she gets up from her seat to give Andrew a big hug, even though she is obviously smaller than him.
After making sure that his daughter is in the pink, Andrew takes a seat in front of his twin children and stepson. His face turns serious all of a sudden.
"All right. You two already knew what happened earlier, right?" Andrew motions to Thomas and Stephen who simultaneously nod. "Have you told her?" he then glances at Emily. Thomas and Stephen shake their heads in synchronisation again.
"What is it? I don't like the fact that you all knew something I don't," Emily cannot help but fold her arms rebelliously.
Andrew shifts in his seat before taking a deep breath and then says, "Emily, when you were passed out, the police went to investigate and they managed to find Peter Olsen, one of Freddy's trusted friends. They tried to talk to him and persuaded him to cooperate with them, but he didn't want to listen".
Her father pauses dramatically, making Emily want to urge him to continue. The sudden silence fills the air, accompanied by the feelings of apprehension, anxiety and horror.
"And then?" Emily leans forwards. She can feel that her father is going to announce something unpleasant, so she braces herself for it.
"He tried to run away. He took out his gun and threatened them. They also did the same, pointing their guns at him. Again, they tried to persuade him. He didn't listen and shot one of the officers. They didn't have choices than to shoot him down when he tried to fight back," Andrew looks down.
Thomas and Stephen, who are sitting at Emily's sides, notice her surprised face and she is not even hiding it. Her wide-eyed gaze and slightly open mouth and her tense body show them how astounded she is.
"So.... That means, h-he is......dead?" Emily asks for confirmation and when Andrew nods his head, she slumps down dejectedly.
Maybe everyone thinks she should be happy and relieved that the eagle-eyed friend is now deceased, but actually she is truly terrified. Why? The answer is Freddy. Peter Olsen was one of his favourites. Peter was like his most trusted assistant ever and he would be very furious after knowing the reality of the current state of his favourable henchman. Now that Peter is dead, Freddy must be seeking for a new plan of revenge. He would be cudgelling his brain, thinking of a new strategy and he will make sure that this one will succeed and cost her or her loved ones' lives.
"S-so, what's going to happen next?" Emily asks no one in particular. She fidgets with her fingers, rumples her hair and bounces her legs up and down nervously.
"We have increased the number of the bodyguards. Not just yours, but ours also. The police are still working to track Freddy down as he is the primary target," says Andrew. However, Emily cannot concentrate on his words as her brain is stuffed with a lot of possible circumstances, mainly the negative ones, if Freddy finally found her and decided to just end her life before his eyes.
"Emily.. Don't worry. We've got each other and we will protect each other," Stephen puts his hand on Emily's shoulder comfortingly and reassuringly.
'Don't worry? Can I do that? No! We don't know what Freddy is capable of. He's menacing and vile!' Emily's little voice says.
As her family tries to calm her down, she cannot help but repeatedly think:
'What Freddy's reaction will be when he finds out that the eagle-eyed friend is dead? What is his plan going to be?'
_________________________________________
Chapter 21 ~!
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Bye-bye !! Love you ~! ❤💙💜