"I don"t think you have played the swing here," Mika pulled Ryn toward the garden.Jeremy was not there with them. He decided to go to the office to observe the situation closely and told the girls to stay here like good girls. He would handle everything, don"t you worry.
Hence, Ryn found herself being pulled toward the garden after Jeremy left. Mika decided that they would spend time playing so that Ryn would not think much about what happened.
They had been walking for over ten minutes but Ryn still could not see the swing Mika kept talking about. According to Mika, her father built it himself for her, for her nineteenth birthday because she loved swinging so much. Even Jeremy was not allowed to touch it. And now, Mika was willing, in fact, could not wait, for Ryn to play with it.
Finally, after ten more minutes of walking, they arrived at the swing. Ryn had to use her hand to s.h.i.+eld her eyes from the burning sun as she looked at the swing. No wonder they had to walk so far. The swing was huge and it was tied to a very tall and old tree. Around them was a clear ground with wildflowers acted as boundaries to separate the swing area with the garden and the forest.
And the clear area was huge, enough to build another house!
Seriously, the wealth of this family was uncomparable.
Mika excitedly pushed Ryn to sit on the swing and took the seat next to her. "Daddy built this for two so we can swing together."
Ryn held it tight as Mika, excited to finally able to play with her best friend, used her feet to move the swing, bringing them back and forth, back and forth slowly. She did not say a word at all despite Mika already shriek and scream happily. She simply looked at the scenery quietly.
"Why don"t you say anything?" Mika finally noticed how quiet Ryn was. She glanced at her wondering why her best friend did not say a word since after the breakfast.
Was Ryn sick but did not want to tell her so not to worry her?
"Are you... are you alright, Ryn? Are you happy?"
Ryn finally turned to look at Mika and smiled. Still, no word coming from her.
"Do you want to go back?" Mika asked, now no longer excited with the swing.
"It"s okay. The air here is so fresh and clear," Ryn finally spoke.
"Are you sure?" Mika was unconvinced with Ryn"s answer. If she was happy, why does she look so empty? As if she was pus.h.i.+ng herself to be here accompany Mika?
"Yeah. I like it here. So fresh and peaceful."
Mika was finally convinced. Like a child, her mood changed back into excitement as her focus was on playing the swing with her best friend.
Half an hour later they returned back to the mansion. Both Mika and Ryn were wearing crowns made from wildflowers and in their hands were bouquet of wildflowers. Both were smiling, albeit Ryn was more composed.
The maids quickly welcomed them. The butler informed them that the Cook had prepared something for them. Something special.
Although Ryn was not that optimistic with the news, having to face so many healthy meals under the Cook"s tender care, she did not dare to refuse the invitation. Holding onto Mika"s hand, she followed behind the butler and the maids toward another set of door, this time leading toward the outdoor swimming pool.
There, under a big umbrella, a maid was busy arranging something on the small table.
When they got closer, Ryn saw a few small plates of deserts. Her bleak world turned brighter. Her eyes shone at the sight of so many cute little deserts.
The Cook must be feeling pity on her so she made all these for her. So the Cook did like her.
She took a seat in front of Mika.
Mika was smiling happily seeing the smile on her face. Finally, the smile on Ryn"s was sincere, not a forced quiet smile.
Mika watched as Ryn started to enjoy the desert the Cook prepared. Luckily Cook finally decided that Ryn was ready to eat something sweet and fattening, rather than chicken porridge with so many "healthy" ingredients.
Pretty soon a small hill consisted of plates stacking on top of each other appeared.
"Are you happy?" Mika asked when Ryn put the last plate on top of the "hill".
"Hmm..." Ryn used the napkin to wipe her lips, just in case there was a residue, any creme there. "What"s the time now?"
"Why?" Mika"s face changed for a second but quickly she controlled it.
If Ryn did not look at her best friend carefully, she would not notice the slight change there. She closed her mouth and again, put on the poker face.
Mika"s face fell. Ryn was smiling happily just now. But why was she giving that guarded look at her? Were they not best friend? Why was Ryn building a wall separating them?
"Are you going to lock me here and block any news?"
"Catherine," Mika choked out. She tried to take Ryn"s hand but Ryn took a step backwards, avoiding her hand.
"What happened yesterday involving me so I need to know, Mika. I am not a kid that needs to be protected from everything," somehow the frustration Ryn had been holding carefully burst.
Who said she was calm? Who said she did not feel anything after what happened? She was just that good of covering her real feeling. She was a model, for G.o.dsake. She knew how to convey any feeling without letting her real feeling break through the mask!
Mika"s eyes widened. Tears started to gather in her eyes to see Ryn suddenly got angry.
Ryn turned around and stormed into the building. She was too furious to even talk with anyone. She could not hold it anymore. She just wanted them to tell her the truth, to involve her on this matter. She was not a child to be protected from everything!
Somehow she could find her room and slammed it shut. She even locked the door. She needed to be alone. She could not promise she could calm down when looking at their face. She was too p.i.s.sed to even care she was hurting Mika"s feeling.
*~*~*~*
Jeremy took off the spectacles and rubbed between his brows. He watched as his team busy using the computer to stop the news from getting worst. They tried the deleting news, asking the bloggers and newspapers to pull back the stories but when one story was taken off, two more appeared. This war was getting endless.
"Mei Li, how"s your end?" he asked, looking at the woman busy talking in the phone.
Mei Li lifted up a hand to signal him to keep quiet and not to disturb her. Her mouth moved quickly, trying to make the receiver understood but it was hard. That person refused to cooperate with them.
Jeremy turned his attention to Jacob and saw him busy talking on the phone.
"Coffee, boss," a young girl offered him a cup of coffee.
He took a paper cup and watched the girl offering to everyone there. He finished the coffee in three gulps. Then, he threw the cup into the dustbin before walked out of the room. He needed fresh air to calm down. He was getting too frustrated and it made him lost his composure when the person he was talking to refused to work with him.
How he wished he could smoke!
He managed to stop the urge, using Ryn as his motivation every time he had the urge to smoke but right now, he wished he was still smoking.
He walked back and forth, trying to calm down. He even looked at Ryn"s picture on his phone to help him find his peace.
About fifteen minutes later, he walked back into the room and saw everyone froze. He c.o.c.ked an eyebrow.
"What is it? What"s wrong?"
Everyone looked at him. Their eyes showed shock and surprise.
"Jacob?" Jeremy called his personal a.s.sistant"s name when no one still tell him what happened. Why were they acting like they just saw a ghost?
"B... boss?" Jacob stuttered, standing up in attention almost immediately.
"What"s wrong with everyone?" Jeremy asked. Why did he feel something wrong? Has the situation got worst? What is it this time?
He took a deep breath to prepare himself.
"We... we just received a call from the police," Jacob choked out.
"They could not find him?" Jeremy asked, already giving up with the police.
"Ac... actually... actually they think they have found him..."
"What do you mean they think? Have they caught him or not?" the temper flared again when Jeremy thought the police was playing with them.
Jacob looked at the people behind him and then at Mei Li. When Mei Li nodded weakly, Jacob turned to look at his furious boss, "They found a body, boss. They found a body in a river. The body looked like... well... almost like the man Miss Catherine said her kidnapper but..."
Jacob did not know how to continue. When the policeman called them, everyone heard it as he put the call on speaker. Everyone was shocked. Even the phone they were holding almost dropped to the floor.
"So he"s dead?"
"The things is... some of the body parts went missing... except for the hands and head attached to the body..." Mei Li choked out, trying not to vomit as she pictured the body, "The body has no," she pointed between her legs weakly.
Jeremy looked at Jacob in confused. What did Mei Li mean?
"Actually, boss, the body has no feet, ears, and... p.e.n.i.s. His fingers and kneecaps were broken."
Two workers rushed out to vomit. They could not hold it anymore.
The room now only has the frozen Jeremy, Mei Li and Jacob. Well, now only left Jeremy as Mei Li and Jacob also rushed out to vomit.
Jeremy staggered backwards until he hit the wall.
Dead? The kidnapper was dead?