It was a man, whose face doesn't look familiar one bit. The shocked expression marred his face couldn't go unnoticed by a blind man, as his lips hung open. I looked over at Desmond's face, and he slightly raised his head at me, as a gesture of asking 'do I know him?' and I shook my head sideways directly. “Oh my gosh, Kiara, you're alive? I mean, you survived? But how, how is it possible?” he asked these series of questions in a breath, ruffling his hair every now and then while his face also grew up in apprehension. I scooted my seat back and made to stand up and ask him how he was related to Kiara. However, he scurried off before my action. I gazed at his back as he hurried out of the place, his movement was reflex, as if he were scared of getting caught or something. “Isn't that your twin sister's name he mentioned earlier?” Desmond examined, and that was when I looked back at him. “Yes, Desmond. But who is he? How does he know Kiara, and what does he mean by she's alive?” I spoke my thought aloud as his last words reechoed in my head. “Don't think about it too much, babe” I raised my eyes to meet his deep brown eyes and I managed to squeeze out a smile, “Alright, shall we start going now?”
As we both walked hand in hand to the parking lot, I couldn't help but worried about that strange man from earlier. If he truly knows Kiara very well, then why did he leave like that without any proper words? “Amelia?” I heard his deep-voiced, which snapped me out of my thoughts. “Are you still thinking about the man?” he asked, more or less knowing my thoughts. I lowered my head and then subconsciously put the loose strands of my hair behind an ear and remained silent. Suddenly, he pulled me and locked me around his chest, I froze in his grasp, turning my head around to see if people are watching us, “What are you doing, Desmond?” I asked, listening to my heartbeat that was hammering in my chest, “Tell me, are you still going to think about him?” the creases around his eyes deepened, but he was still friendly. I gazed off to a distance, surely I'll have to inform Kiara about this, it's not something I can possibly keep away from her. “Alright, alright, I've heard you. Would you let me go now?” I expressed, staring at his face with an annoyed expression. He slightly raised the corner of his lips and revealed his white teeth. He looked handsome and cute, and I was dazzled by his smile for a while, “Kiss me, darling, then I would let you go” I shivered, not knowing whether it was his hot breath or the word that took me off-guard and made me feel like burning up will over, but I still pretended to be cool.
“Let me go now, Desmond, otherwise…” I broke off, looking at his face aggressively, but he appeared less concerned about my hostile expression. “Otherwise what, sweetheart?” he brought his lips next to my ear as he spoke. I would feel the blood in my whole body boiling and for a moment, I couldn't find anything suitable to say. I thought of a way to get out of his antics and I recollected Granny's words from last night, “Granny would love to meet you soon” I announced, and his face lit up as he stood properly to search my face. “Really? Are you serious?” his tone was full of excitement, “Yes, I'm serious. We talked about you last night” I responded, and he immediately let go of me and jumped around me twice. Looking at him happy, the corner of my lips couldn't help but raise. He took me by surprise when he carried me by the legs and twirled me around, I almost scream, afraid that I would fall down. “Put me down, will you?” I said amidst laughter, clutching his collar tightly. After a few seconds, he lowered me to the floor and framed my jaws in his hands, “I think I need to meet Callie and thank her for bestowing you to me” he said, staring intensely into my eyes. “There was no woman in my past whoever left a spot in my heart, but you came into my life and occupied every space in my heart and even makes my world a colorful one” the sincerity written boldly all over his face shows that he meant every word he just said, I smiled with satisfaction and gradually sneaked my hands around his neck, “I know we didn't start up with a fresh beginning, Desmond. But believe me, I've always known that you have a big role to play in my plain world since our second meeting” I confessed, colliding my gaze with his, “And I also think I need to meet and thank Callie for abandoning you for me” I finished my words and his lips approached mine little by little and then clung to mine. His tongue swept against my lower lip, asking for entrance, and I opened up, drowning into the kiss and ravishing him completely.
Moments later, my cell rang inside my shoulder bag and I slowly disengaged from the enthusiastic kiss, he muffled a grunt and I chuckled while I retrieved the phone from my bag. “It's Uncle Samuel,” I told him with a beam, and his face lit up a little. “Hi, Uncle” I spoke up immediately I picked up the call and pressed it to my ear, “How are you doing, Amelia?” his voice was full of ecstasy, bringing more smiles to my face. By this time, Desmond was already walking toward where his car was parking in the parking lot and I followed behind him, “I'm fine, Uncle, we're all fine. How are you, too? And how's Bangkok?” I asked with interest, smiling at Desmond who had opened the passenger side door for me to enter, and then I bent and got in. “I'm good too dear, and I would be coming back next week” he announced, and I squealed happily, “I'll inform Granny. I've missed you so much, Uncle Sam, I can't wait to see you again” I said breathlessly, feeling a crazy joy at the news of his homecoming. He had been away for vacation for the past three months. “I miss you too dear and how's Desmond?” my mouth lifted in a wide grin, “He's here sitting next to me” I responded, stealing a glance at his face and catching him staring back at me. I quickly took my gaze away, knowing how flushed my cheek had become by now. “Come on, let me speak with him”
I entered the quiet living room and took the stairs to her room immediately. I knocked on the door, “Are you in, Kiara? Okay if I come in?” I asked, and the door swung open the next second, disclosing her. “You're welcome, Miss Lawyer. Hope today wasn't stressful?” she had a bright, broad, compassionate and sincere grin on her face. I stepped into the room after her, reciprocating her warm gesture, “Work was fine. Is Aiden back from school?” I asked, sitting on a single couch. “Yeah, he is. He's in Granny's room” she answered, sitting on the couch opposite mine. “And you, when do you intend to resume work?” I asked, and I watch as her face became sour Immediately. “I don't know, Amelia. You know, Henry was the one who did everything and now that I'm no longer with him, what do you think?” she said thoughtfully and bounced my head twice, “You're right, but you should try to hear from him first, Kiara. Call him and ask if you're still the possessor of the boutique, or you should let go” I advised, and then she nodded in affirmative. “I'll just do that,” Knock! Knock! Knock! I looked over at the door and asked, “Who's it?”
“It's me, Marian” the voice responded from outside, and I tilted my head to look at Kiara, “Did you call for anything?” I asked her, and she shook her head curtly, “Can I come in?” Miss. Marian inquired, “Yeah, sure, come in,” after letting out, the door opened directly. She took a few paces into the room with a sweet smile lingering around her lips and holding a tray in her hand, “I just thought that you both would need some refreshments while you discuss” she explained the reason for her appearance and came forward and dropped the tray on the tea table at the center. Seeing the cookies inside the tray, my eyes glistened as I creaked joyfully, “Cookies!” I picked one and quickly took a bite from it, “Hmm… Yummy!” I shut my eyes and licked my bottom lip. Upon opening my eyes, I noticed that Kiara was staring at me. I chuckled lightly while I picked up two cookies this time and extended one to her, “Try it, Kiara. Miss Marian cookies are always heaven, trust me” I convinced and then glanced over at Miss. Marian, but to my surprise, tears were streaking down her cheeks and she seemed not to realize it. I jumped to my feet in fright and moved closer to her, “What happened, Miss. Marian? Why are you crying?” I asked gently and carefully, Kiara too was also standing beside me. “It's tears of joy” she blurted out, but before I could process what she just said, she was already wiping her tears with the back of her palm and said, “I'm sorry about. I was lost in my own thoughts that I didn't feel my tears were already coming out” she said in a convinced tone and Kiara and I exchange a glance. “Are you sure you're okay?” Kiara asked curiously, and she nodded, giving her charming smile. “I'll get going now,” she notified, and left the room at once. “Is she always like this?” Kiara quizzed after she had left. I sighed, staring at the closed door. “No, Kiara. I'm sure there's something bothering her lately, but I guess she doesn't know how to say it out” I said firmly. “Then how do you think we can get her to say it? Perhaps we should inform Granny about it?” Kiara suggested, and I quickly shook my head sideways in disapproval, “No, Kiara, we can't do that. She might not want Granny to know about it” I expressed, and she nodded in agreement, “That aside for now. I met a man today, Kiara, he saw me but mistook me for you” I let out, and then she smiled, walking back to her previous seat, “That's possible, Amelia, remember we're identical” she said with a smile, but I shook my head negatively, moving to where she was sitting. “That's not the case, Kiara. As soon as he saw me, you need to see how shocked his expression was and asked how did I make it alive? How's it possible?” I narrated, and in an instant, Kiara's expression froze as the smile on her face could no longer continue, “Nicholas” she said, while she rose to her feet, “That was Nicholas, Amelia. The same man who threw me off the bridge, he wanted to get rid of me” her voice wavered as she spoke and that was when everything begin to make sense to me, so that explains his shocking expression from earlier, he didn't expect Kiara to be alive after such attempt, “What do we do now, Kiara?” I asked after a moment of silence. She turned around and grabbed her cellphone on the bed. I just watched her as she dialed a number and pressed the phone to her ear, “Nicholas is back in the country, Alexander” she said frantically into the phone, looking distressed. “Okay, I'll be waiting” those were her next words, and then she hung up. Seeing her eyes became moist with tears, I quickly moved closer to her and hugged her tightly, “It's okay,”