Hell & Heaven | Yoon Jeonghan

XXXVIII. Mystery

"Are you not going to ask me how I'm here?" The person asked her in a gentle voice, still clad in sunglass and mask covering their identity, still curious, they asked her again, "Why did you comply to come with me when you could've just ran away?" Veronika sat still in the apartment that she was in now, they were several storeys up.

"Rivas don't run, that's what Grandma taught me and that's how I work" She finally answers the stranger. "And for your second question, I just felt like it, if you were a threat it was high time, way before, for you to harm me" The person seemed impressed by her.

"She really made a soldier out of you, didn't she?" The stranger questioned.

"Well now that we are in a closed space, can't you just take off the whole 'cover', I have a fair idea of who you are and you should've known that by now" Veronika tells the other giving a tight lipped smile.

The stranger sighed, finally taking of the accessories which covered their identity, her bobbed hair let free, Veronika carefully studied her face.

"When my father said you both look really alike, I didnt think this much" She said surprised.

"Well I'm the better looking twin anyways, so hello Veronika, I'm your 'dead' aunt, Catalin Riva". She replied.

"It's weird that I haven't seen you in the flesh before in my life but you seem familiar, probably because you are my dad's other half." She comments before giving her hand out. "It's good to finally meet you, Catalin." They shook hands as they nodded in acknowledgment.

"You really do look similar to how I looked back then, you look like your father more but I see Katheryn too" The older smiled at her niece.

"Why are you here now though, you could've just kept on living in hiding?" The younger enquired, suddenly serious.

"Catalin Riva died years ago child, that's what everyone believed, I deceived my own family, yet my mother found me and kept quiet. I thought she let me go but realised she found a replacement" Catalin replied, looking at Veronika.

"It's not my place to say or interpret what Grandma did, so are you here to take back your place then?" She asked.

"I could've done that months ago but your grandma reached out to me before her age got to her, I faked my death and went away from all this but I'm still a Riva, no one can take that away from me and I have a promise to keep" Catalin said, tearing up but she shook off the feeling with a smile.

"How are we going to tell my dad about you?" Veronika finally asks.

"He's Claude, he'll understand. Nobody understands me like my brother does." Catalin affirmed " but first we wait, till it's just the people we want. Oh and congratulations on your marriage." She winked at the younger.

"Yours too" Veronika replied as she eyed the wedding band on her aunt's finger.