"Stop!" I said in a cold voice and the music stopped and they all turned their eyes at me, Russeli took off the headphone and his eyes met mine.
"Is there a problem?" He lifted the corner of his brow curiously, this was not the melody I once remember, this was not the voice that made my heart skip a bit, this was far different from the voice that sang for me and made my heart leap.
"Yes, there is." I looked at him with a furrowed brow. "You sing with your head and not your heart. Where are your emotions?" I asked dryly and he was speechless.
I didn't give him any time to respond, I turned to Mr Gilbert. "I can't do a duet with a person like this." I seized Russelli up in a cold manner, deep down I was wondering why I was acting this way to him and I wanted to stop, but not now. "I will take my leave now." I turned to leave.
"No please, he can learn how to..." Mr Gilbert was trying to say something but I left the studio before he could finish with my assistant behind.
This was the kind of person I want to be now, he had to beg me this time because his company was about to fall apart, singing with his son was the only thing that would help him now. He needs me now more than I do, this was how life was, there was always a turnaround.
I got to my apartment and shut the door of my room as I broke down in tears, all the tears I had been holding in, all the pain and happiness to see Russeli alive again made my eyes swell in tears and I sat down on my sofa and curled up to my knees.
A knot rose in my chest as I remembered his facial expression, he had not remembered my face, he had lost his emotions and had not sung for over four years now, what went wrong, what happened to Russeli to make him change so much.
A knock came on my door and I quickly wiped off my tears. I wouldn't want anyone to see my tears, I wouldn't want anyone to see my pain. I sat up on the sofa and cleared my voice before asking who it was.
"Miss, you have a phone call." My assistant told me as she stepped in, holding my phone in her hands.
I looked at the phone but didn't take it from her. "Who is it?"
"It is from the business administrators." She replied without hesitation."
I got up from the sofa and walked over to the window as I stared out of the window. She was still holding the phone and standing behind me. The phone rang twice, then after taking in much air and contemplating for a while, I faced her.
"Cancel all my appointments today, I have a place to go," I told her and strolled over to my desk.
"Okay, Miss." She left my room and I looked at the large mirror stand and applied light make-up on my face and flashed myself a smile.
"I can't break down now, I have to be strong." I pet talked myself before picking up my bag and leaving the apartment. My driver was already waiting for me, so he opened the car door and I entered, he started the car and drove me to my destination.
I was in the car staring at a large building just across the street, my eyes were distant and I was lost in my thoughts, the memories here made me weep in my heart.
"Miss Natasha, you have been looking out there for four hours now and you haven't said anything or gone in, also it is getting late." Sinead, my driver told me and I turned to him.
I flashed him a smile that didn't reach my eyes, and I blink back tears and sniffle. "I was just thinking what my life would have been without me growing here," I said softly and I saw Sinead's eyes dilated.
"Miss Natasha, I don't understand, did you grow up in this orphanage? I thought you were from America." His eyes darted from the orphanage home to me.
I shook my head softly and averted my gaze. "Never mind." I lean back to my chair. "Deliver them in the boot and if you are asked who is delivering it, tell them it is Natasha Wilbur." I knew none of them will be familiar with that name, they will only know she is a musician and not their Malinda Kristen.
"Okay, Miss." Sinead left the car to do as instructed and I closed my eyes.
"Annabel I miss you so much," I said softly and a single tear rolled down my cheek. If she was still here, she might think I am dead. Maybe that could be what Russeli also thinks. If his father had lied to me that he was dead, what lies should I expect him to tell his son?
I miss Annabel and can't even show my face to her since she was going to recognize me, no matter what my disguise should be, she was blessed with such a gift. I promise I will tell her when everything is over.
I smile when the thought of how grown up she is now crosses my mind. Now I was curious as to what she looks like or loved, the last time I checked she was still at the orphanage and had refused to have foster parents. She must be keeping her promise to wait for me.
"Sorry Annabel, I didn't keep my promise to you, I wasn't able to watch you grow." I buried my face in my palm and sob lightly as I could see her smiles displaying in my head. With Russeli and Annabel, I had a great time and memories I don't think I will be able to forget.
Gavin called me the next day and he was surprised as I was to hear that Russeli was alive and well, he was angry that Gilbert had lied to me. "That mean you didn't sign the contract because of him? Did he recognize you?" He asked from the other side of the line.
I was in my room, staring out of the window with tears in my eyes. I didn't want to cry, but I just couldn't stop myself from crying. "He does not remember me, Gavin. He does not know I am his Malinda Kristen, have I changed so much?" I asked with a sob.
"Stop crying," Gavin told me with a hushed voice. I knew he hates when I cry, but I was only doing so since I was far from him and since it hurts. "It may be that he can't remember you, since you changed so much."
"No Gavin." I looked at my reflection on the mirror, no matter how much I think I changed, I was still the same person." He ought to, could it be that the accident affected him." I could remember him at first sight, I saw the look on Gilbert's face when he saw me, it was a bit of a resemblance like he was making out, but I didn't notice it on Russeli's face, it was different, far different from that.
"Why is he like that? Did they mess with his brains or something so that he won't remember me?" There were a lot of questions on my mind and my head was in a daze. I was confused and I didn't have answers to them all.
"You can't be like this Natasha," Gavin said in a deep voice. "All you have worked so hard can't go like this, be that tough and rich lady you are now." His voice was serious and it was calling my mind back to reality.
I wiped off my tears and my face darkened as I bit down my lip in silence, then I parted them again to speak after giving his words a few thoughts. "Gavin, you are right, I can't let my emotions have the best of me, but I don't know why my heart is like this either."
There was a long silence before I continued. "I have to get to the root of this matter. Can you help me, Gavin?" I pause to hear his response.
"In what way can I help?"
I rub my forehead and walk over to my desk. "Check with the hospitals here in Korea, since you have what it takes to do that, please confirm the hospital Russeli Ryan was transferred to four years ago and gather all liable information about his treatment and anything else you can find out." I paused. "Please do this for me."
Gavin hesitated for a while before he agreed to help, then we said goodbye and hung up. I looked at the picture that appeared on the screen of my laptop, I had not searched for his profile for four years, because I believed he was dead, but now I checked it was true, he has been alive and well, few pictures he had taken with that lady, a lady I had known and met just once, a lady Russeli hates.
What was the actual truth, because they look so happy in this picture, more like a couple, but then, my heart was crushed, still I have to find out what happened four years ago.