Chapter 2
2087words
Akiko thought the black car’s horn was just a random person, but moments later, a man stepped out of the car and walked toward her.
“Ignoring me, Miss Eloise?” Akiko looked up, staring at the man now standing right in front of her.
“Who are you?” Akiko asked, confused, while remaining cautious because she didn’t recognize the man.
The man chuckled softly and walked closer as if challenging Akiko’s wariness. “Do you have a bad memory?” he said, grinning.
“We’ve met twice, but you’ve forgotten me already. I’m Glen Xander McKenzie, your new owner. Mr. Eloise has given me all the rights to you in a contract, so you’ll be staying with me from now on.”
Akiko paused for a moment, trying to remember who Glen was, and only after a few seconds did she recall that Glen was the one who will take her away. Akiko knew exactly what she had to do; everything had been arranged as her father had requested. However, her dog, Kouma, was still at the apartment, and she couldn’t just leave him behind.
“Get in,” Glen ordered as he opened the car door.
“I need to get my dog first. My things are still at the apartment,” Akiko refused his order.
“I don’t like being rejected, so it’s better if you just do what I ask. Do you think I’m playing around, waiting for you like this? You should be grateful I’m picking you up this politely,” Glen said firmly.
“I know, I’ll go with you, but I need to get my dog first,” Akiko refused again.
“You’re stubborn, aren’t you?” Glen growled, stepping closer to Akiko. She stepped back, but he kept coming until her back hit the barrier wall.
“Give me your number,” Glen demanded, handing her his black phone. Akiko quickly typed her number.
“Never ignore my messages or calls.” Akiko nodded, then tried to leave quickly. However, before she could take another step, Glen suddenly grabbed her hand tightly and kissed her lips briefly without warning, whispering,
“You belong to me, remember that well.” Glen quickly entered the car after allowing her to leave, rubbing his own lips while muttering to himself. “Why did I kiss her? Ah… no wonder, her indifferent stare excites me more.”
“Come to this address tomorrow at 8 PM. Don’t be late, or I’ll teach you a lesson,” a new message came from an unknown number. Akiko knew it was from Glen. She sighed, frustrated, unsure of what would happen to her after witnessing Glen Xander McKenzie’s arrogant attitude. As she was about to leave, a phone call distracted her attention.
“Hello, Akiko, can we meet now?”
“What happen, Doctor?” Akiko replied.
“I need to discuss something important. Where are you right now? I’ll pick you up,” said the man on the other side of the phone, and Akiko immediately sent him her location.
“Akiko, come in,” the man opened the door and let Akiko sit first. The man’s name was Vian, a 25-year-old doctor who had been overseeing Akiko’s treatment for several months.
“I’m busy, Doc. Can we talk here?” Akiko asked. She was worried that Glen Xander was still around, watching her.
“Of course, we can talk wherever you like. Sorry for the sudden meeting. I wanted to discuss the continuation of your treatment. Here, read all these documents carefully,” Vian said, handing her the papers. Akiko read them thoroughly.
“Does this treatment hurt?” Akiko asked, pointing to a specific section.
“Yes, but the pain will gradually go away as your condition improves,” Vian explained.
“By the way, I need to meet your parents for approval since you’re under 20. But it seems you live alone, is that right?”
“I don’t have a family. I’m alone,” Akiko’s resigned answer made Vian feel sad, though he wasn’t sure why. Her face seemed to hide so many problems, perhaps a family issue she couldn’t talk about.
“It’s okay, I can be your guardian then,” Vian said.
“Really?” Akiko asked, her spirits lifting.
“Yes, I’m 25. Even though our ages aren’t that different, the hospital says I can be your guardian,” Vian replied.
“Let me think about it. I’ll meet you tomorrow morning at the hospital,” Akiko said. In the end, Vian could only accept that the decision was entirely up to Akiko, and he was just an intermediary.
“Let me take you home,” Vian offered. During the ride, both were silent, though Vian was worried about Akiko’s health, which she seemed to disregard. Even though she was just a regular patient, Vian found himself very concerned. When they arrived at her apartment, Akiko began packing her things because she wouldn’t be living there tomorrow.
Glen Xander... just thinking about his name made Akiko dizzy. The man was so rude and arrogant, very different from Vian, who was gentle.
“Kouma, can we get through all of this together? You’re my only friend, I don’t want us to be separated,” Akiko hugged her dog tightly. Perhaps compared to her family, Kouma was the closest companion she had for the past five years.
The morning greeted her, and Akiko planned to meet the doctor at the hospital to cancel all her treatments. After thinking about her fate in Glen Xander’s hands, Akiko wasn’t sure she could do whatever she wanted, especially when it came to medical treatment.
Fortunately, she would meet Glen later at 8 PM, so she still had some time in the morning to take care of a few things. However, when she was at a store buying breakfast, a girl suddenly grabbed her face quickly. At that moment, their gazes locked, and Akiko stood there, unable to believe the figure she saw.
“You...,” the girl with short hair whispered with a trembling voice. The girl in front of her immediately hugged her tightly without any warning.
“How long... How long have you not contacted me?” her voice sounded so sad, her trembling body holding Akiko tightly.
“I’m sorry,” Akiko whispered. Keinara hugged her for quite a while, as if releasing a longing that had been building up, and without realizing it, Akiko returned the embrace. Keinara gently wiped Akiko’s sweet face.
Fortunately, she had often stolen chances to have the housekeeper send photos of Akiko so she could recognize her younger sister after such a long time apart.
“You’ve grown up, huh?” Tears started to fall from Keinara’s eyes as her trembling hands fixed Akiko’s short hair. Meanwhile, the younger girl lifted her gaze and wiped Keinara’s tears away.
“Don’t cry,” she begged.
“How could I not cry? I finally found you, my sister...” she sobbed, looking deeply into Akiko’s eyes. Hearing this, Akiko sighed.
“We shouldn’t have met again, Dad will be angry if he finds out about this.”
“I know, I know he’s probably still as cruel as before. You must have suffered a lot living in that house, right?” Keinara asked.
“Why? Why did you do this? You could have died because of him.” Keinara remembered how Akiko had protected her when they were little. Even though she didn’t know that Akiko would later become a captive to protect her and the company, she still couldn’t understand why Akiko had to endure all this.
“Because it hurts,” Akiko replied quietly.
“It hurts? Then why did you keep doing it?” Keinara retorted.
“Because I didn’t want you to feel the same pain. Let me bear it all. You’re the kindest person I’ve ever known since I opened my eyes. I don’t want Dad to hurt you too,” Akiko’s explanation made her tears flow even more. Keinara remembered exactly how little Akiko had collapsed on the cold floor, covered in wounds because of their father’s anger, even though it was Keinara who had torn the important files.
But she was too scared to admit it. In the end, Akiko was the one who took the blame. After that incident, the Eloise siblings were separated for ten years. Keinara had to go to a special boarding school because she was the heir to the family company, even though she had refused, not wanting to leave Akiko. But all her attempts to resist only made their father angrier, telling her that her talents and intelligence would be affected if she stayed with Akiko.
Meanwhile, Akiko remained in the same place, the place full of suffering. She woke up from fainting, then treated her wounds that wouldn’t heal, as they kept increasing day by day. It was amazing that she had survived this long, even though she had lost the will to live. Had Akiko ever thought about suicide? Of course, but she felt that suicide wasn’t her way out. So, Akiko just kept going as long as she could breathe. Until now, Keinara finally met her sister again after so many years. Finally, Keinara sighed in frustration.
“You know? Actually, we could be stronger if we just bound ourselves to each other, but... I used to be so scared, while you always kept everything to yourself. As an older sister, I should have protected you, not the other way around.”
“I’m sorry... I’ve been a bad sister. I don’t even know what your favorite food is until now,” she continued. Seeing Keinara’s sad face, Akiko stared at her deeply.
“Ice cream, I like ice cream,” hearing this answer, Keinara smiled sweetly because Akiko was willing to tell her just a little about herself.
“I’ll buy you lots of ice cream,” Keinara joked, making Akiko smile faintly. Finally, she could see her sister’s smile after such a long time. But behind that smile, Akiko was hiding the fact that she had been sold by their father for the company. She didn’t want her sister to know; she wanted Keinara to live a good life without any problems. Keinara hugged her thin sister tightly as if transferring warmth. Since they were little until now, it felt like she had failed to protect Akiko. Tears broke out again, especially seeing Akiko’s sorrowful face, carrying so much pain.
“I love your warm hugs,” Akiko whispered, remembering that Keinara was the only comfort she had when they were little, and even now, Akiko wanted to stay in her embrace. But unfortunately, she couldn’t let that happen just for a temporary wish.
“I’ll keep hugging you,” Keinara kissed the top of Akiko’s head, while the younger girl released the embrace to take something from her bag, which turned out to be a small turtle-shaped keychain.
“A turtle?” Keinara was confused when she received the item.
“Cute, it looks like you.”
“No, turtles don’t look like me,” Akiko replied.
“Why?” Keinara asked, but the question was only answered with a faint smile.
“I want to go home,” said Akiko.
“Now? Can I come with you? Dad said you live alone in an apartment now,” Keinara said excitedly, but she was immediately rejected by Akiko.
“I’m going to move, maybe we’ll never meet again,” Keinara’s eyes widened in shock hearing those words. Her face immediately turned angry, as if she couldn’t accept Akiko’s decision.
“We just met, Akiko, don’t you want to spend time with me?” Keinara tried to convince her sister not to leave again. They could escape together if Akiko was afraid of their father.
“I just want to rest. I’m tired. Dad will never let us live together, so give up. I don’t want any problems,” Akiko released Keinara’s hand. Finally, Keinara could only sigh in resignation when she heard that answer. She understood that Akiko definitely didn’t want to get involved in family matters again. If their father found out they secretly met, he would be furious.
“Take care of yourself, okay? I’m sure we’ll meet again sooner or later. I’ll make sure you’re safe so we can live together later,” Keinara gently stroked Akiko’s hair, while the younger girl just nodded, then left with her dog. Keinara, confused, looked at the turtle keychain in her hand, wondering.
“Turtles don’t look like me,” she murmured, recalling Akiko’s earlier words. Curious, she immediately searched for the meaning of the turtle. She just wanted to know what the symbol of the turtle meant when Akiko said it didn’t look like her. But the long-haired girl froze, shocked to read the meaning that was written.
“The turtle symbol is longevity, it means...” Keinara whispered.
