Where Have You Gone

Chapter 3️⃣4️⃣

After bidding farewell to Irin, Freen walked towards the door, her heart laden with a fog of emotions. The burden was palpable, and as if sensing her distress, Bright caught a fleeting glimpse of her pained expression. Instinctively, he felt a pull to accompany her. He reached out and gently patted Anne on the head-an affectionate gesture-before he followed Freen into the quiet corridor.

As they approached the lift, the metallic button gleamed under the overhead lights. Bright pressed it, the sound of the chime breaking the stillness like a whisper in a library. The doors opened with a soft hiss, and Bright, ever the gentleman, stepped aside, allowing Freen to enter first. Once inside, the small, confined space wrapped around them like a comforting yet stifling cocoon, leaving them enveloped in a tense silence.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware of them," Bright murmured softly, glancing at Freen. His voice barely broke the heavy stillness that hung in the air.

"It's okay, Bright. You did your job. Don't apologize," Freen replied, her eyes averted as a shadow of turmoil flitted across her features.

Inside her mind, Freen was caught in a tempest of thoughts ever since she had learned about Irin's staggering revelation. The shocking news that Becky was blind weighed heavily on her conscience as if the world had shifted off its axis. She wrestled with her emotions, desperately seeking a sense of calm as she understood the urgency of reaching Irin and uncovering more about Becky's situation.

The lift hummed and whispered as it descended, its metallic innards gently vibrating. Before long, it reached the ground floor. As the doors slid open, a scene unfolded that took Freen's breath away. There stood Becky-her beloved Becca-right outside the lift, accompanied by another woman. A flurry of emotions rushed through Freen; her heart raced, blood pounding in her ears as the instinctive urge to run forward, envelop Becky in her arms, and weep began to swell within her.

Bright, standing tall beside her, noticed the whirlwind of urgency in Freen's gaze. Understanding the need to move, he took charge and stepped out of the lift first. Freen followed, her keen eyes locking onto the sight of Friend's hands instinctively settling around Becky's waist, pulling her closer in a protective embrace. The tenderness of the moment was palpable, leaving an indelible mark on both Freen and Bright. Freen's hands were buried deep in her coat pockets, her fingers tightly curling into fists-a physical manifestation of her inner turmoil.

Inside the lift, Friend gently guided Becky into the compartment just before the doors closed. As they stood in the small space, an uneasy pulse of energy filled the air. Becky's heart, having found temporary peace in the serenity of the garden, now raced with unrestrained fervour. The familiar scent enveloping her brought an onrush of emotions, each whiff invoking vivid memories and feelings.

"What happened, Becky? Is everything alright?" Friend inquired, her voice laced with concern.

"The smell... This... This smell..." Becky stuttered, overwhelmed and unable to finish her thought, the aroma clouding her senses.

"Yup, there was a doctor and her assistant or bodyguard, I don't know. They were the ones who left the lift before us," Friend said, attempting to identify the scent but failing to distinguish anything in particular.

"No, Friend, it's not perfume," Becky insisted, struggling to articulate her feelings as she inhaled deeply, trying to capture every essence of that lingering aroma.

Once they arrived at the room where Irin and Richie awaited, Friend offered her goodbyes to everyone.

"Mm... Friend, can we go for lunch on another day?" Becky asked, her voice hesitant.

"Okay, Bec... no problem. Bye," Friend replied, stepping out of the room to attend to her duties.

Dr. Faye offered Becky a gentle hug. "It's been so long, girl. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh, Dr. Faye, it was nice meeting you. By the way, I've never seen you," Becky laughed, although her humour fell flat in the serious atmosphere of the room.

"Oops, sorry, bad joke," she added, her nervousness fading slightly as the tension eased.

Irin and Richie had already settled on the date for Becky's upcoming surgery, which was scheduled for the following week. The news filled Becky with a sense of joy and hope.

"Where is the doctor? Where is the one who is to perform the surgery?" Becky asked, excitement lighting her voice.

Irin and Richie exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable to Faye.

"She just left; she has another meeting. She'll meet you when we proceed with the next step," Faye said, attempting to provide a satisfactory answer.

"Oh, okay," Becky replied, a hint of disappointment seeping into her tone.

On the drive home, laughter and soft music from the radio created a comforting ambience. Richie was behind the wheel, while Irin occupied the passenger seat. In the backseat, Anne and Becky sat side by side, their bond evident in the way Anne leaned closer to Becky, whispering, "I'll tell you a secret when we go home."

Curiosity piqued, Becky's mind raced with wonder about the mystery Anne hinted at. With a pinky promise, they sealed their agreement to share the secret later that evening.

Meanwhile, Freen's resolve to work dwindled as the day wore on. "Can we go home?" she asked Bright, her voice weary. After a long morning meeting with the hospital board, the exhaustion lay heavy upon her.

"Okay, no problem," Bright replied, opening the car door for Freen before taking his seat in the front next to the driver. Once they arrived at the mansion, Freen made her way directly to her room, the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Bright caught sight of her as she ascended the stairs, his intuition telling him that something was terribly wrong from the very first day she started her new job. He heard the ping of a message notification and fished out his phone, glancing at the screen.

Big sis: How is she? I hope you know your job there.

Bright: She is fine. At home with her now. I know my job sis :)

A soft, satisfied smile crept across his face as he tucked his phone back into his pocket, before walking towards the kitchen with a sense of responsibility and hope.

Freen lives in a mansion, which is more likely to be called a palace. It was her father's gift. Even though Freen didn't want the house, she couldn't deny it when her father pleaded with her. She told her father that she didn't want more servants in the House. She doesn't want to be surrounded by more people. Her father agreed, so there were very few employees, and the mason had small staff quarters in the backyard.

Bright was served with a cup of jasmine tea. While sipping the tea he got a message from Freen asking him to book an entire cafe that evening near their house. Bright nearly spit the tea out. He had to re-read the message twice and confirm that Freen asked to book the entire Cafe.

Bright has done the job and sent a confirmation message to Freen.

Irin received a message from a new number stating a place and time that evening. She knew it was Freen. She saved the number to her phone.

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