After Ian got back to his bed, he called Shelby again. It rang almost to the end before her sweet voice came through.
"I’m sorry, who is this?"
’Who is this? Doesn’t she know my phone number?’
He thought to himself, but her voice that filtered through the phone did wonders to calm his turbulent heart. Ian, who had been so vocal a moment before, opened his mouth several times and closed it again without knowing what to say.
He closed his eyes and finally mustered up the courage, but it was too late.
"Maybe it’s a wrong number? How weird that they will call so many times...."
The line disconnected then, to Ian’s bafflement.
In the car, Shelby put the phone back in her purse. She was still very touched by the concern the three in the car had for her. She looked at Suzie in the front seat, who had her cheeks still filled with food, and shook her head.
’How could you still afford to eat that much?’ Suzie had made sure to pack up the ’leftovers’ and was busy finishing them off. The look of joy on her face was immeasurable.
"Is the food that nice?"
"Yes, Miss Shelby, you have no idea since you did not eat. That friend of yours is very skilled. You should let us revisit her."
Gabriel perked up just then and asked,
"Mama Shelby, was I a gentleman today?"
"Hey, you know what? You were absolutely amazing!!"
Shelby answered promptly, wondering where the conversation was going.
"Then can I go with you next time?"
’So, this is what he wanted to ask?’
Shelby noted, opening her mouth to reply, but she noted the slightly expectant gaze from Ingrid. Even Albert glanced through the review mirror with a smile as if they were all waiting for the answer. ’Was it because of the food or something else?’
She closed her mouth and then said,
"It depends on whether you will be a good boy in the coming days."
The adults burst out laughing. But they had all taken an instant liking to the unique Ava.
"Me too..." Ingrid’s voice was so low that Shelby was unsure if she had heard right. She did not push it, though, as the girl was just coming out of her shell. However, she did not forget to throw an encouraging smile her way.
’What is Samantha doing at this time?’ She wondered as they got close to their destination, mostly because she had not seen her the previous day, even at that late hour.
The night before, Samantha finally sneaked through the estate gates. She knew exactly when the guards would change shifts. The girl had been through this numerous times and knew her way around the grounds through the dark and how to avoid all the cameras set up. The large hoodie she had on, was dark enough not to attract attention to her and the yellow dress she had underneath it.
She looked as gorgeous as ever, but on closer look, one would notice that her perky attitude that she had moved out of the estate with that morning was no more, and she looked a bit downtrodden. A demeanour that may be related to wherever she was coming from.
’I can’t wait to get a much-needed shower and slip under the covers.’
Finally, Samantha spotted the small back door to their room that she used, but when her hand reached for the nob, a voice stopped her in her tracks, and she cursed under her breath.
"I’m sure that she’ll be back soon. I came to you, didn’t I? So, trust your sister, okay?"
"What is that woman doing in the room again? If she wants to be a mother so much, she should have her own kids! Why is she being so nosy? And that Gabriel! I must teach him a lesson so that he stops being a blabbermouth."
Samantha squatted outside the door and rubbed her stomach when she smelled the pastries, and then later, the noodles wafted out of the slightly open window.
With her heavily made-up face and how she was dressed, she did not want to see Shelby and be forced to answer any questions.
Samantha dozed off, and after what seemed like forever, she jolted awake with the night breeze all around her. Even with the hoodie, she was still a little cold because her legs were bare.
Samantha listened attentively, hearing no voices; she stood up and stretched her cramped-out legs, fist tapping them along their length to let the blood flow back.
"It’s about time she left!"
She was still cautious, though. She opened the door slowly and peeked through its tiny slit before she finally opened it wide.
"Of course I did! Did you think that I would sleep outside?"
Gabriel continued chattering and following her as if he had not heard her sarcastic comment.
"Mama Shelby was here. She brought us delicious pastries! Even Ingrid ate some today and she made Suzie bring us the moooooost delicious noodles ever!"
Samantha paused and sent an interesting look Ingrid’s way. Ingrid looked away guiltily and climbed into her bed.
"Don’t worry, Sam. Mama Shelby left you some of everything!"
"I’m not hungry!" Samantha snapped!
However, her stomach gave her away with a slight hunger noise that echoed around the room as Gabriel’s voice died down.
"You’re a liar, Sam. Lying is not good!"
He placed both of his hands on his tiny waist and looked up at Samantha.
"Whatever! Get out of my way, Gabriel."
Gabriel stepped aside but still followed Samantha as she started undressing.
"Mama Shelby said that the noodles would get soggy, so she made Suzie give you a different sauce. Yours smells so good, Sam. When are you going to eat it?"
"Okayyyyyyyy!!!!" He responded in a singsong voice and finally returned to his bed as Samantha entered their bathroom.
Samantha shut the door behind her, leaning against it and rubbed her tummy again.
"I was only gone for a day, and she won Ingrid over too?" Samantha knew Ingrid best, and judging from the many emotions going off her face, she knew that Ingrid was finally warming up to her.
"I knew she was a witch!"
Samantha finished what she was doing and drank enough water to fill her belly.
"I am not going eat any food from that witch. Maybe that is how she conquered them! Who knows what she put in it?"
So, Samantha went to bed hungry. Ingrid, who was originally of little words, said nothing as Gabriel nagged and nagged until he fell asleep.
However, when Ingrid woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, she saw Samantha wolfing down the meal. Ingrid wisely slid back under the sheets and ensured her sister had not seen her.
The next morning, when Gabriel and Ingrid were ready to go out, Samantha got to a different level of anger and betrayal, but could not voice it out. She only watched on helplessly as her two siblings went out, following Suzie, who had come to collect them.
Shelby had no idea of all these when her thoughts veered off to Samantha in the car. She had ensured that the oldest child did not feel left out of anything. So, one of the smaller packed meals was for her.
The car pulled up at the Thornston estate just then.
In Ian’s room, his mood had changed 360 degrees suddenly. After Shelby hung up the call, he stood up abruptly and headed for his door, only to stop with his hand on the knob.
Being there reminded him of why he had kept himself out of the world. He hesitated as the memories of Aliya finally broke through the curtain made by the bond with Shelby. The ring on his finger glowed brightly and dimmed alternatively.
With each bright glow came Shelby’s breathtakingly face and, with the dim brought Aliya’s sweet smile.
"Ahhhhh!" He held his head and slumped down, remaining seated with his back to the door. His mind was a jumbled mess as he struggled to make sense of his feelings in that very moment.
The memories he had of Aliya started playing through his head. Their sweet times, the casual moments and then the final memory of her smiling so widely at him.
"If I had known that, that was the last day I would ever see you. I would have done better. I failed you, Aliya. I wish to be given a second chance to correct my mistakes. I will never make that mistake ever again...pl-ease..."
He lamented to himself, closing his eyes tightly.
After what looked like a long time, he straightened up. As if his resolve had been cemented and then said out loud in the empty room.
"What am I doing? I told myself that I was never getting married or link myself to anyone else in this life after Aliya’s death. Why am I letting this ’blood oath’ thing drive me? Who is behind this oath anyway? I was in some sort of a trance, so someone made me do this! No one controls me! Was it her doing? Is she some sort of a witch?" He whispered in the empty room.
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