CHAPTER 8: that stepdaughter

　　Rahim’s POV

　　My jaw tightened when I saw the name on the invitation letter. It was from Mara. “What’s wrong? Is that bad news or what? A summons from the police station?” she asks. That made me laugh. “No. Of course not. Police were afraid of touching mafia groups in your story, missy.” Her face became blank and she laugh after. “I forgot, agh.” She touches her wound. “Even Raphael still aches because of his wound and yet he keeps on running around doing her daily routine,” I mumbled. “Because he was like that. I made you guys be workaholics to keep your mind busy. You know, like how I did to forget the pain from losing that jerk,” she uttered. “You still love him, hmm?”

　　?“Nope. The day I saw how they betrayed me, I knew that my feelings were fragile like bubbles. When he hurt me, it pops in one shot.” I can tell that her bitterness in love was passed on to us and even if we’re just characters from her story, I knew myself how painful it is. “By the way, is that an invitation or what?”

　　?“Yes, it's from Mara. I think 10 days by now.” She nods and just writes again. I was about to leave her when she suddenly scream. “FUCK!” she curses. I blink and look at her. “What was that for?!” I ask. “Did you just say Mara’s birthday?” she asked. I nodded. “What in the world!” she yelled. “Can you just speak properly and don’t curses? You are making my headaches,” I reply. She looks at me. “I will tell you later on when those two came home. Tell Raphael not to push himself that hard. He needs to recuperate properly,” she says. I simply nod and left her. I called my brothers and tell them to come home early. I went to my office just to pick up some papers and I accidentally bump a girl in the pedestrian lane.

　　?“I’m sorry,” I apologize. I saw that her heels flies off. “Stay right there, I’ll take it for you. I’m really sorry for bumping you,” I mumbled again. “No, it is okay. I am just running away from it! Oh my gosh!” she says. I look around and saw some men running. “Come here,” I grab her hand and we run away together. “Get her! We can’t slip her away!” he says.

　　“Please help me! I will owe you my life forever and do whatever you wanted,” she says. What kind of trouble she is facing? “Boss Mara will kill us if we can’t have that woman. Get her alive and kill that man!” he commanded. I look around and we entered into a smaller route as soon as we hide ourselves from them. “Boss, we didn’t know where they get into!” he yelled. “Let’s all split up!” he stated. I look around and I saw a flower shop. I grab her and we entered. The florists were surprised because of our sudden entrance. “Babe, which one do you like? Just forgive me okay? That girl is nothing to me! Please, listen to me. This? You love lavender, right?” I act. We hide in a blind spot corner and I gave her a flower. She pouted. “Now you are afraid of losing me?! After you! How stupid,” she says and grabs the flowers.

　　I laugh and pet her. But I am staring outside and I saw those three men leaving the area. “I’m sorry, okay? Please don’t misunderstand what you have seen,” I mumbled. “Okay, but promise that you are not cheating or else!” she pointed the bouquet at me. “I will kill you,” she says. I paid for the flower and we act normally as we left the place.

　　?“I’ll bring you with me. Those men will surely go to your place and force you to come with them. I’m Rahim Ross. You must have an idea who I am,” I stated. I opened the passenger seat door and place my hand on her head. She buckled up and I drove my car home. “I’m Mariz Landen,” she says. Landen? Her surname rings a bell. “Landen? Are you related to Miller Landen?” I ask. She looks at me. “How did you know my dad’s name?” she ask. “We are looking for you. We knew Mara Lively will command your dad’s men to catch you or to kill you,” I stated. “I see. It looks like I was right. It was her. That woman!” she roared. I can see how mad she was.

　　Raphael’s POV

　　?I take off my coat and I grunt because of the pain in my back. I have to work at home for the next few days or else my wound will bleed like what happened today. Someone knocks on my door. “It's me, Gwen. Can I come in?” she asks. “Okay,” I replied. I put on my shirt and she enters my room. This might be the second time? “I heard from Raffa that you wound bleed because you are pushing yourself. We just come out from the hospital, two days ago. You shouldn’t be pushing yourself that hard, my goodness,” she lectures. I laugh. “It's nothing. Don’t worry I have already cleaned it up. I took all the papers that I needed. I will work at home to recuperate properly,” I replied. “Make sure of that. By the way, let’s wait for Rahim. I have something that I have to discuss with the three of you. It’s important,” she says. I nodded. “Is that all?” I ask. She frowned.

　　“I bought you this cup of coffee and sandwich. When Rahim arrives, we all have to talk in your mansion’s library.” She put down the food and leave. That made me chuckle. She acts like a girl who was irritated by her man. But that was cute. After an hour, Rahim arrived with a… girl?

　　“Oh my! Mariz Landen?!” she pointed her finger. She hides?behind Rahim’s back. “Uwahh! She’s much more beautiful in person!” she says and she even grabs my arms. “Snap out of it,” I warned. “I can’t help it, okay? She looks so damn gorgeous! I wonder how beautiful Geneva is!” she says with a glimpse of the excitement. I sigh. “I’m sorry about her. She’s crazy,” Raffa says. Her face was pissed. “Shut up, you jerk.” They look at each other as if a bolt of lightning from their eyes were pushing each other. I sigh.

　　“Ahem!” I cough. They stood up and glare at each other. “What kind of play is this, huh?” I ask them. “It's his fault!” they both said pointing at each other. “Stop it!” I yelled. She shrugs her shoulder. “Okay. You said so,” she says. I sigh. “Let’s go to the library and I have some things that I wanted to ask to Ms. Landen,” I whispered and they followed me to the library.

　　?“What happened? Why did you come home with Ms. Landen, Rahim?” I ask. “I bump into her and some men were chasing after her. I help her out and learned that she is the girl that she wants us to find. The illegitimate and only child of Miller Landen,” he says. “She knew about me?” she pointed to Gwen. “Of course, I wrote about you so… I know you.” She looks surprised and confused. “She’s the writer who makes this world. You can ask her if you want to test her,” I stated. “She’s crazy and uhmp!” she put her hands on Raffa’s mouth. “You can ask me,” she says. She is having doubts but she ends up asking. “What is my biggest secret that no one knows except me, of course,” she asks. She let go of Raffa and look at her with a serious expression.

　　“At age of 13, you accidentally killed a drug addict who tried to rape you on a mountainside in Paris. That is March 17th?of 2011 and the time is 10:17 pm at night.” She saw how she turned pale. “What kind of joke is this?” she murmurs. “Also, your father left you a necklace as his birthday gift. There’s like a number in there, isn’t it? Go to a safe in the town proper and you have to enter the password that your dad tells you whenever you enter his mansion. It’s mango, the fruit that your mom was allergic to, right?” she added. ?“What did you say? Is the number of this necklace is safe box number? The password is mango?” she asks. She nodded. “You will find the answer to why Mara wants to kill you in that box. Trust these men. They’re scary but they have the heart of gold so… stay here for a while. They’ll protect you,” she says and winks at her.

　　“If what you said were all true. I will believe you for claiming that you are the author and this world was just from your pen,” she says. She laughs. “I like her. She’s like the three of you,” she says. I sigh. “What is the other reason why you want to talk to us?” I changed the topic. She sighs and crosses her arms. “Don’t tell me it's a new trouble?” Raffa ask.