Plan in Motion
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CHAPTER 10
The phone barely rang twice before Celestine's warm and concerned voice filled the space around Aurora. "Hey, Aurora?"
"Hey, Celestine," Aurora greeted, trying to inject a note of casualness into her voice, but the effort was marred by the undercurrent of stress that laced her words. "I need your help with something."
"Umm… what's wrong?" Celestine's voice crackled with concern from the other side of the phone. "Your voice... It sounds like you're about to announce a prolonged war."
Aurora let out a shaky laugh. "Seems I'll be staying longer than I had planned. I need an apartment, not too distant from the company, and also close to a school for the twins."
There was a brief moment of silence between Celestine and Aurora as if to acknowledge the weight of Aurora's words.
"Did I miss anything? Talk to me, Rora. What's going on? You sound... rattled."
"It's a long story, Celestine," Aurora sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I promise we'll talk about it when we meet. Could you just help me with the apartment thing for now?"
"Of course, couz," Celestine replied in a soft tone. As much as she wished to ask further questions, she chided herself against doing that.
"I'll start looking right away. But Aurora, please, take care of yourself. Whatever it is that's bothering you, we'll figure it out together."
"Thanks, Celestine. I really appreciate it."
Celestine nodded now that Aurora's voice became steadier than before.
After ending the call, Aurora sat down at the edge of the bed, her mind racing on her next course of actions.
**************
The morning sunlight shone brighter than average as Axel walked through the lobby, his steps echoing on the polished marble floor.
With a frustrated sigh, Axel fished out his phone from his pocket, his fingers tapping impatiently against the screen as he dialed his top guard's number.
The call connected after a few rings and a voice rang out through the line. "Ace here. What's up, boss?"
"Ace, I need you to do something for me," Axel informed him in an urgent tone. "And it needs to be done fast."
"Sure thing, boss. What do you need?"
"I need you to find a way to speak with the hotel staff or cleaning personnel," Axel instructed, his voice low but commanding. "I need a DNA sample of Aura and Aqua, and even Aurora."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Ace responded in a low and serious voice. "Understood, sir. Consider it done. Anything else I should know?"
Axel's jaw tensed slightly. "I do not need to remind you but, make sure this is treated as urgent and confidential."
"As you wish."
Getting Ace's serious response seemed to lift the weight on Axel's thoughts. Casting one final look at the hotel structure, Axel entered his car and drove off.
************
The next few days were a whirlwind of activity as Aurora and the twins settled into their new apartment. With Celestine's help, they had found a cozy place that felt like home from the moment they stepped inside.
The walls were painted a soft, welcoming shade of blue, and sunlight streamed in through the large windows, casting a warm glow over the space.
As moving day arrived, Aura and Aqua were buzzing with excitement, their little faces flushed with anticipation. They ran from room to room, exploring every nook and cranny of their new home with wide-eyed wonder.
"Look, Mummy!" Aura exclaimed, her voice filled with delight as she discovered a hidden alcove beneath the staircase. "I found a secret hideout!"
Aurora chuckled, her heart swelling with love for her adventurous daughter. "That's amazing, sweetheart," she replied, kneeling down beside Aura to inspect her discovery. "I bet you and Aqua will have lots of fun playing there."
Aqua nodded eagerly, his eyes shining with excitement. "Can we build a fort, Mama?"
"Of course, we can," Aurora said, ruffling his hair affectionately. "We'll make it the best fort ever."
Just then, Celestine walked in, her arms laden with boxes and bags. "Hey there, little adventurers," she greeted with a smile, setting down her load. "Are you ready to help me unpack?"
"A minute, Aunt Celestine."
"Looks like they're settling in nicely," Celestine remarked, her voice filled with warmth as she turned to Aurora. "You've done a great job, Rora. This place feels like a home already."
Aurora smiled gratefully at her cousin, her heart swelling with gratitude. "Thanks, Celestine," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "I couldn't have done it without you."
Together, they spent the afternoon unpacking boxes and arranging furniture, transforming the space into a cosy sanctuary for their little family.
After spending the afternoon unpacking boxes and arranging furniture, Aurora, Celestine, and the twins decided to take a well-deserved break.
They gathered in the cosy living room, the soft glow of the setting sun casting a warm hue over the space.
As they settled onto the couch, Aura and Aqua's curiosity bubbled to the surface once again. "Mommy, Aunt Celestine, what school are we going to?" Aura asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.
Celestine smiled at the twins, her eyes sparkling with affection. "There's a school close by that you'll be attending," she replied, her voice gentle yet reassuring. "It's a wonderful place with lots of other children your age."
Aura's face lit up with excitement, but then she furrowed her brow in concern. "Will my friend Sophie be there?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
Aurora shook her head sadly, her heart breaking at her daughter's disappointment.
"No, sweetheart," she said gently, reaching out to brush a stray lock of hair from Aura's forehead. "But you can always make new friends, just like you did with Sophie. Who knows, you might meet someone even more special."
Aqua chimed in with his brow furrowed in concern. "But I don't want new friends," he protested. "I want to be with my old friends."
Aurora exchanged a worried glance with Celestine, silently pleading for help. Celestine met her gaze with a reassuring smile before turning back to the twins.
"Hey, how about this?" she suggested enthusiastically. "We'll go visit Sophie some other time. How does that sound?"
Celestine's words had a magical effect on Aqua, instantly soothing his worries and causing his expression to soften. Turning to Aurora, he asked, "What about Alan, Mommy? Will we see him too?"
"Yes, sweetheart," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "We'll see Alan too."
Just then, Aurora's phone rang, breaking the peaceful atmosphere of the room.
With a frown, she retrieved her phone from her pocket, her heart pounding in her chest as she saw the caller ID display a name she hadn't seen in five years.
Dariel Dax.