Arranged Love

Hidden Room

Mika's POV

Week 4

We are currently entering Bose's parent's house to investigate his grandparents room. As I walk through the front door I glance around at the once-familiar palace that used to be my second home but after the incident 10 years ago...my visiting hours became smaller and smaller.

"The room is this way." Bose announced.

We turned a corner, strolling to the end of the hall where their room stood.

"Are you ready?" I ask Bose while peeking over at him.

"I don't have a choice but to be."

Bose places his hand on the doorknob while twisting it, resulting in the door cracking open with dust particles flying out of the unentered room and the door filling the hallway with creaking noises. He pulls the door completely open revealing a traditional bedroom with a bed, dressers, and knickknacks but what took our attention was the grand wall of books that went from the floor to the ceiling. We enter the dust-filled room with gloved hands and hopeful hearts on finding something.

"Ok, I'm going to look through dressers." I say.

"And I'll look under the bed."

We split off going our respective ways and I head toward the maple brown dresser sitting in the corner. I tug open the first drawer seeing nothing but grandma's undergarments then the second drawer holds nothing but clothes. I tug open the last drawer seeing clothes once again but this time I notice something. I push the clothes aside seeing a secret compartment built into the drawer. I slide off the top seeing a folded piece of paper, as I open it up I realized it was a letter...to Bose and me.

"Bose look...I found a letter written to us!"

Bose stands up off the ground walking over to me at lightning speed.

"From who?" He questions.

I look at the bottom of the page to see...

"It's from your grandparents." I answer.

I hand over the letter to Bose who examines it with disbelief.

"Let's read it." I say.

Bose and I just sit Indian-style on the floor in impatient nature.

"Dear Bose & Mika,

If you are reading this that means we are dead. I don't know when you are reading this or if you even encounter it but if you found it that means you needed information. I know you two have a lot of questions and I wish we could answer all of them but that's not probable. Knowing how analytical Mika is and how Intelligent Bose is...you both figured out pretty quickly that something isn't right. I'm assuming the Dirty Diamonds are still terrorizing the both of you, our families, and anyone that gets near us. So things needed to happen for something to change...which led to our suicidal death. I know you're shocked and confused but it had to be done. Your grandfather and I both knew after Mika's incident that we were next so instead of letting them kidnap us and get crucial information...we decided to hide all the important stuff and kill ourselves. If you need more information then pick up the picture I broke and put it back on the bookcase. We're sorry that our death was so soon and we're missing out on you becoming amazing royals but always know we are watching over you. You two can do it, we believe in you...now go find that information and stop those Dirty Diamonds for good so you can make the world a better place...we miss you so much, love you kiddos.

Love, Grandma & Grandpa"

I can't believe what I'm hearing...GamGam and PaPa killed themselves? I can feel my eyes getting glossy as I replayed the letter in my head. I glance over at Bose seeing him hold the letter close to his chest while his head hung down.

Bose's POV

I feel like my world is spinning right now, my grandparents ceased their lives to conserve everyone else. Everything I assumed I figured out might be amiss...what if my life is altered once again because of what I'm about to witness? I sense Mika lean into my side while running her hand through my hair...I'm just glad I have someone here with me to undergo this with since I'd be a mess by my lonesome.

"What do I do?" I ask.

Mika gradually sits up while looking at me with subtle perplexity written on her complexion. Usually, she's the one raising a question but right now as my vision is blurred by my tears and my brain is engulfed by my thoughts...for once I need someone else to figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do.

"Well your grandparents are giving us more info which can either help us or harm us...it depends on whether you're ready to risk taking it. If it works for us we can likely get rid of the Dirty Diamonds more efficiently."

"...And if it hurts us?" I ask.

"We can't complain about the cards we have been dealt...we just have to discover the best way to play them."

That was so insightful, profound, and intelligent...

"I learned that...from a fortune cookie haha."

...and there's my Mika. I wipe my fruitless tears and vindicate my brain of shunned thoughts, thanks to Mika...and her fortune cookie haha.

"Well your cookie is right...whether we like what we see or not, we got to uncover the good in it." I say.

We arise from the floor while dusting ourselves off then I walk over to the face-down picture frame that had been on the floor. So the shattered picture we saw in their case file was deliberately broken so that we could put it back...but why?

I pick up the picture frame peeking at my youthful self with my grandparents then I set the picture in its proper place on the bookcase. Once I had arranged it, I heard a click, then the bookcase swung open...showing a concealed door within the bookcase structure.

"So that's why." I convey.

"Whoa...this is some next-level stuff." Mika exclaims.

Mika lingers close behind me as I resume opening the makeshift door. At first glance, I see an old desk and a bunch of file cabinets. The walls were covered in bulletin boards with red string and images while the desk had an open file folder on it.

I stroll behind the desk to examine the file and what I see perplexed me.

"They were trying to contact some man named...Ken Jones."

"What!" Mika exclaimed.

Mika walked toward me as I hand her the file...she glimpses at the file and unexpectedly her eyes start to water as her hands start to quiver.

"Mika, what's wrong?" I ask.

Mika looks up at me with disbelief and slight fear in her eyes.

"He is the boy...that raped me on my 8th birthday."

It turns out that we have been dealt some awful cards that Mika wasn't keen for.