Chapter 3 | No Longer Safe

CHAPTER THREE

NO LONGER SAFE

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"You turned out to be such a waste of time, miss Fribelle." Jim muttered to him, his hands tied back as he walked to make their way outside the building.

"So stupid of you to kidnap me in the first place, sir." she mockingly uttered the word sir.

"I see your dear home didn't help you to learn some manners when you talk to someone older than you." his said with a slight snort, his chin held up as he walked, not looking at anyone.

Melora scoffed, rolling her eyes. She fought back the urge to say something back at him. When they reached outside where the cars were parked, Jim said, "I can't take you back to your dear orphanage to waste my time. They'll dump you back to where you were dumped." he motioned his head towards a sliver Lamborghini ahead of them, beside his SUV.

Melora thought it's wise to ignore his words. She looked at the silver Lamborghini and saw a young man standing near to the car, talking to someone who sat in the driver seat, his one hand inside his jeans' pocket while the other hand held the car door open. Another stranger. She hated strangers and traveling with them and she trusted no one other than Twickenhams.

The man at the car door turned around as they neared. Melora held her breath as his eyes immediately fell upon her, dropping his hands from the car door. He appeared to be around twenty. He stared at her intensely, making her feel heat all across her body all of a sudden. She started to feel even more nervous and uncomfortable at his intense gaze upon her, like she always does when boys look at her. She tried to look away from him immediately but her eyes didn't obey her. He was tall and slim and he had light brown curly hair that fell onto his face nicely. He had blue eyes those were intensely set on her. His face was extremely unreadable, especially with the intense stare upon her.

She forced herself harder and looked away from him, trying to calm down her heartbeats those were going so fast. She looked at the driver in the driving seat who was looking at her as well, but not staring intensely as the other one did. The driver appeared to be amused at her sight which totally irritated her.

"So this is Melora Fribelle?"

Her breath caught her throat as she heard his voice, making her eyes immediately snap to him who hadn't moved his intense gaze off her. Her heart thundered against her chest and her body was set on fire at his stare and now his voice. It was as if it's the first time she's hearing a male voice. His voice was calm, deep, kind, strong but not intense as his intense stare on her. She looked away quickly again, not wanting to get herself lost in staring.

"Yeah, this is little miss Fribelle from Twicken-Twickenham," Jim answered in an amused tone that completely irritated her. "And you're to dump–"

"Cut that off!" Melora immediately interrupted him, shooting him a strong glare. She was trying to hold herself back from spitting out words that might put her in danger. "You're really irritating."

Without her permission, her eyes traveled to the man whose eyes were still on her. She gulped as she met his gaze, the glare softening at once and she quickly looked away from him. She felt something in her stomach; this man was really giving her a strange feeling inside her which she has never left before.

Jim laughed, "And you're out of manners." he said. "Now, I don't have time to waste. I got important things to do. You're to bring her back to her dear home." the mocking in his voice never left. "And you, Miss Fribelle, shouldn't raise your voice, be quiet. These guys," he motioned his hand towards the driver, saying, "Alfred and Edward," he motioned towards the young man whose eyes were fixed on her and continued, "...will bring you back to where you belong. While I…" he glanced down at his watch wrapped around his wrist and said hurriedly, "I need urgent business to do."

"Alright, go on. But Twickenham, isn't it? Her orphanage," Alfred who was in the driving seat motioned his head towards Melora.

"Better be off before I slap your head, Redwood." Jim warned sarcastically and Alfred burst into laughter while Melora curiously glanced at Edward and saw him rolling his eyes. She agreed with him; it wasn't funny at all. "Just remember how many times I've told you and don't make me repeat it again." Jim said once their laughter went dead. He turned to the girl beside him, who was extremely uncomfortable and nervous between them. "Alright, miss Fribelle, get in," he pulled open the car door.

But her eyes went wide as she saw someone sitting in the back side whom she didn't notice through the window. "Why on earth he gotta come as well?" she turned to narrow her eyes sternly at Jim who appeared to be amused along with Alfred.

"Get inside, miss. He's just to make your journey secure."

She rolled her eyes, "Don't have to be that concerned about me, mister. I'm not goin' to if he wouldn't go outta the car. He's freaking irritating!" especially because he was deadly staring at her.

Timos the bald guy snorted at her words, waving his hand dismissively.

"Melora, don't make me repeat it again," Jim used his warning tone, as if she'd listen to her. She rolled her eyes at him again.

"He's just joining to make your way back secure," Edward stepped forward to the opened car door of the back seat, his deep voice making her breath caught in her throat and snap her eyes to him, the glare in her eyes softening. "Please consider."

She couldn't find her tongue at his deep calm voice, with his gaze fixed on her, his blue eyes gleaming upon her, making her forget how to breathe for a brief moment. Her heart was thundering quicker at his voice, far deeper like the ocean with secrets deep inside. She pulled herself out of her thoughts and nodded dumbly before getting inside the car, blindly taking in his words. She didn't even care to glare at the bald guy as she was too lost in his deep and calm voice.

Before the door was closed, Jim bid his farewell to her, "Alright, miss Fribelle, we don't know the next time we'll be seeing again, so until then… farewell." but he moreover sounded mocking but Melora didn't care about that for a moment as she watched Edward getting into the passenger's seat breathlessly.

"How was your talk with madam Dorothy?"

Her eyes were snapped from Edward as she heard Timos's voice. He was smirking at her with a wicked look on his face which was scaring her ever since she saw him for the first time. "None of your concern," she turned away from him, looking at Edward as he sat on the passenger's seat.

She didn't know why but he was making her breathless at his each glance and each word. His presence was making her feel heat even though the autumn breeze was coolly waving through. All of the doors were locked before they set off from there, starting their journey to Twickenham.

She tried to glance down her own hands and not to look at Edward as she can see him through the mirror. Deep silence waved upon them as the car drove ahead, and it was Alfred who broke the silence.

"So, miss Fribelle, tell me how is your life at Twickenham." Alfred appeared to be an amused man with a hint of mocking in his voice like Jim. "Is it good? Or do they treat you like Cindrella with her stepmother?" he asked but she held herself back from opening her mouth to answer coldly. "Jim told me you wasted their important time–"

"He meant he, himself, wasted his time." she corrected coldly, glaring at Alfred's head.

He chuckled, "Really? They thought you'd be something… useful. But you failed them, miss Fribelle."

"They're no one to me."

"Oh they are," Alfred said. "Best and close friends of your dear father who turned out to be the cheater. You know, miss Fribelle, your father is a che–"

"Cut that off!" she exclaimed outrageously. Whether her father was a cheater or not, she hated to hear anyone saying bad things about her family. "Don't say any further about my family."

"You're no one I'd take commands from, miss Fribelle," Alfred still sounded so amused. Irritatingly amused. "Jim told me that it's quite funny who live a life of an orphan in a dirty tiny–"

"You should shut up your dirty mouth when you speak to me, mister!" she warned him, clenching her fists. She was always angry at those who mocked her orphanage, the only place that accepted her.

"Oh really? What would you do? Little daughter of the cheater–"

"Don't!" she raged at him, fighting back the urge to slap on his face. "Who knows if my father didn't do anything of that on purpose? What if he had a reason? What if he had no way to pay it back?"

"He should've been careful when he was playing with someone powerful," Alfred scoffed.

"Dorothy you mean?" she couldn't hold herself back as she desperately wanted to defend her father whom she never knew. She didn't care if the fault was on her father's side or not, she just wanted to defend her father. "She looked like a devil,"

"Careful, miss Fribelle when you're talking about the mistress," Alfred seemed to enjoy the silly argument with Melora. It was as though he got no one to argue with.

Edward and Timos remained quiet during the argument. Several times she heard him sighing and several times she instructed herself not to look at him through the mirror and she could see his blue eyes on her through the mirror, making her tensed than she was already.

She scoffed, "Mistress of the devil? She more looks like–"

"Watch your tongue–"

"You too, and act mature–"

"Melora," the deep young voice suddenly called her name sternly, his head turning to the backside to see her.

Her heart skipped a beat at his voice calling her name, a sudden chill ran down her spine at his voice, making her stop at once and stiff. Her eyes met his, taking her breath away.

"I think you should be quiet." his voice was deeper as if secrets lies deep down it, but it was stern, telling her not to speak again.

Her body burned at his intense stare on her and she quickly looked away from him, taking a few deep breaths to calm down her heartbeats. She swallowed the hardness and didn't dare to open her mouth again all the way to Twickenham even Alfred, ignoring his younger brother's warning to stop, asked her a few questions.

She was trying to keep her eyes on the window, wanting to relax herself by seeing the outside view but she couldn't as most of the time she could feel his intense gaze on her. She wished that man would stop looking at her as it was making her body functions go crazy. She wanted to tell him to stop looking at her but didn't dare to.

Alfred and Timos were speaking and laughing on the way while Melora and Edward remained quiet. Several times, disobeying her, her eyes would travel to the mirror and meet his eyes and would look away quickly. It kept happening for a long time.

She was still in shock about everything that happened that day; everything that changed. She came to know that her family is still out there, and she's not an orphan. There were still questions, a lot of them, to be answered. But who would answer them? She still couldn't believe that she has a sibling; a sister. But what happened to her? She was supposed to be with her.

After two hours of the journey, they finally reached the Twickenham orphanage. A homely feeling welcomed her back and she let out a sigh in relief. She had no hope of coming back when she was kidnapped. The gates were opened wide and she saw their bus parked inside, so she presumed they were back and would be worrying about her at the moment. She saw Mrs. Twickenham pacing before their building and Liana and Evelyn were outside too. They seemed to be waiting for her; but were they informed about her coming? She wondered.

The car was parked in their yard and she saw her friends jumping to their feet in surprise. She looked away from the window as she saw Edward getting out of the car and coming to her side.

Oh no, no, no! Not him! She tensely thought as her body burned, because this young man with breathtaking eyes was making her feel so tensed and heated up. He pulled opened the door for her and she immediately got out of the car, meeting his eyes. Those ocean eyes took away her breath once again. His gaze was set on her and his face softened when their eyes met.

Her heart stopped at his breathtaking smile, she stared at the young man before her like an idiot but thankfully her friends called out her name and came rushing to her. She turned to see them coming towards her and rushed herself to them from him, crashing into a group hug.

Melora felt so relieved to see her friends and be with them. She felt safe and secure.

"Where were you? Are you alright?" Evelyn asked her in a rush with a pure worried voice.

"We were sick about you!" Liana said, pulling away from the hug to examine her tired face. "You look so pale. Oh Mel, are you alright? What happened? Who are they? Why did they take you away?"

"Where did they bring you?" questions came out from her worried friends and she warmed to see how caring they were to her.

"I-I'll tell you everything b-but not now. Once they'll leave." she turned to the car and saw Alfred and Timos walking to Mrs. Twickenham who had gone pale. Her eyes immediately traveled back to the car to see the man with ocean eyes and found him standing near the door of passenger's seat.

Her breath caught in her throat as she found his eyes on her, staring at her intensely. Why on earth is this man staring so intensely as if his stare could make her tremble and sink to the ground? She couldn't help but wonder. She gulped as she stared at him back, looking at his gorgeous face, telling herself she'd never see him again.

She looked at him like he's the only attractive man in the whole universe. She felt like that. He was charming than any human she has ever seen; she dared to admit it to herself. He's the first one to capture her attention, the only man who appeared to be attractive in her eyes in the whole universe.

She was suddenly pulled out to reality and realized she was staring at him too much. She looked away from him to Mrs. Twickenham who was talking with Alfred and Timos. Soon Mr. Twickenham came, furiously hissing at them and Timos seemed to be warning and threatening him, leaving them both to just nod dumbly.

Melora failed to keep her heartbeat normal as she could feel his gaze still on her, making her whole body burn. Something tugged in her stomach; an unfamiliar feeling.

Soon enough, Alfred and Timos left back to the car and Melora watched Edward as he got to the passenger's seat. But before they took off from there, Alfred looked out of the window at Melora with an amused expression. "Hey, miss Fribelle, aren't you gonna thank us?"

"Miss Fribelle?" Liana asked, uttering her family name in bafflement and glanced at Melora.

"In your dreams," she called out to him in her cold voice and didn't forget to glare at him for the last time.

Alfred laughed before he began to drive the car out of their yard. Melora didn't know what exactly she was feeling but desperation hit her hard to see Edward for the last time. When the car reached the road, she caught a glimpse of him, looking at her way, before the car took off in high speed.

"What was that…" Liana's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, making Melora turn around to her friends. "What did that guy call you? Miss...what?"

But when she opened her mouth to say something, she quickly turned around at Mr. Twickenham's voice. "Oh Melora, dear, we're happy you're safely back."

The old man walked to her with open arms. Melora was quite surprised; they did love every children there in the orphanage but it was a love without affections, only two hugs in a year; on their birthday and Christmas. She didn't hesitate to walk into his welcomed arms and was embraced by him. "I'm happy to be safe. But I had no hope of coming back." she muttered.

"Oh Mel, I'm so sorry this happened to you. We were helpless, you know that, right?" Mr. Twickenham asked once after she broke apart from the hug. She nodded in response and he continued, "We are still helpless. We have no choice than…" he trailed off.

Melora's eyebrows furrowed and looked at him confusedly, waiting for him to continue.

"Than what?" Liana asked impatiently.

Mrs. Twickenham stepped closer to Melora and gently took her hands in hers. "They might would come for you again. You're not safe here as long as they know you're living here."

Her eyes went wide, "What d'you mean?"

"You need to move from here to faraway." Mr. Twickenham sighed helplessly.

"What?" Evelyn gasped in shock.

Melora stared at them in shock and confusion. "Why would they come for me again?"

"We don't know, but as long as they know you're here, they'll come for you. Please listen and understand, we'll move you to somewhere else faraway." Mr. Twickenham said.

"B-but they said I'm useless, the reason they kidnapped is because–"

"We know, they told us." Mrs. Twickenham interrupted her.

"What's happening? Why do they want her?" Liana asked in alarm as both she and Evelyn knew nothing of it.

"We'll tell you, my dear." Mr. Twickenham said calmly to Liana before turning to a pale Melora, "But Melora, you have to move from here and we'll do it, we'll move you from here to faraway where you'll be safe. We care about you and we want you to be safe from th-those people."

"She's not going anywhere alone!" Evelyn disagreed. "She's not going to leave us." they were best friends and thinking of one being separated, it was terrible for them.

"Yes, she is not going anywhere without us." Liana said firmly and determinedly.

Melora's heart melted at their words but she was more confused and barely could believe that she needed to move. Her life had a lot of changes within just a few hours. She could barely believe what was happening in her life.

"Don't worry, we would never separate you three. You will go with her, you'll move with her." Mr. Twickenham said gently.

"B-but where?" Melora stuttered, her knees trembling.

"New York."

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A/N:

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