Passion Plundered

Chapter Eight

Tzuyu's POV

It took a good five minutes to realize that I'd probably start drooling from gaping my mouth so wide in shock.

How could she?

Then it's settled, I'll never ever come across her again, I'd probably faint from embarrassment. At least this time she'd left me to die in private.

"Oh God, this is so humiliating," I said into the empty theater.

A movie didn't sound so interesting any more, the food beside me, forgotten.

I looked down at my arm and noticed that the purple color had faded to a light dusting of pink, nothing to cause worry.

It soon got chilly in the theater, considering the fact that Sana wasn't around to make me feel warmer than usual.

I picked up my shoes, wore them, and stepped out of the theater, but not before checking if the coast was clear.

Where's everyone? I thought as I began to head up the stairs. But then I remembered that they were probably gathered around the fire just as Sana had said.

Immediately I heard the first sounds of a guitar being strung, I followed the source.

I retreated from the stairs and walked to the open back doors that led to the backyard.

The bright fire was hard not to notice as plenty of people surrounded it.

But I couldn't see the source of where the skilled playing was coming from.

So I found a spot away from the fire, where I could sit and be elevated enough to see everyone...

I set out on a narrow way many years ago.
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road.
But I got lost a time or two, wiped my brow and kept pushing through.
I couldn't see, knowing how every sign pointed straight to you.

I'd paused when I heard the amazing voice of the man singing. So I rushed for the spot where I could be high enough to see him.

Just as I found the source, the man's voice.

harmonized with another perfect tone. A slightly lower and smoother one. I expected it to belong to the guy next to him, but it belonged to the next.

And Lord help me. It was Sana.

And every long lost dream, led me to where you are.
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars.
Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms.
This much I know is true.
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

I watched her as she silently played the guitar while the other guy with his own sang on. Sana must have been the harmonizer among the three.

I continued to stare at her in awe, even though at the moment her mouth wasn't moving. But it wasn't easy to look away from the way her long fingers caressed the instrument.

She joined again—on what I now assumed was the chorus—and the harmony was mind blowing.
The contrast of sound and appearance was just as mind blowing. You'd think that all three of them belonged in a gang or something, but what came out of their mouths was quite the contrary.

I took a moment to study the rest of the gathering.
The grandparents looked at peace and happy. The parents looked content, while my parents looked about ready to leave at any moment.

I rolled my eyes at them, and continued to survey everyone.

And if I wasn't mistaken, most eyes were on Sana. Probably to admire her beauty. Be it her tattoos or her boyish appearance, her exceptionally beautiful face wasn't one to ignore, the thick hair surrounding it free and beautiful.

Before I had the chance to drool over her again, I caught the red and blue lights from the corner of my eye.

Due to my position, I was the only one able to see the police lights from the long distance.

I faintly wondered about them for a while. Until I saw them become brighter, and I could hear the familiar sounds of sirens.

I became vaguely interested, but then the interest turned into curiosity when the sounds became louder, grabbing the attention of a few people in the gathering.
When I was able to make out the police cars and the black SUVs, it became vividly clear that they were heading towards the mansion, considering that it was the only house left at the end of the street.

The music stopped, and people began to disperse.

Some heading back into the mansion, and some around it. Most were on a purpose to find out the scandal ahead, while some probably concluded that they were in trouble, and they tried to steer away from it.

But I already had a pretty good idea of what the 'scandal' was. And I was quite sure it had something to do with my father.

I watched him as he walked into the mansion with my mother, who seemed genuinely unsure of what was going on. But my father's face was void of any color whatsoever. Instead it was filled with dread, which my mother didn't seem to notice as they disappeared into the mansion.

"Need some help?" a familiar husky voice said.

Before I knew it, I was being lifted off my spot and my feet touched solid ground.

I didn't have the willpower to master up the courage to look up into those hazel eyes. Instead I turned to leave, but a firm hand latched onto my soft smaller one.

Quite frankly, I wasn't in the mood.

And it had nothing to do with my tantrums. But it had everything to do with my father, and the possible outcome of the night.

"It probably has nothing to do with us," Sana said.

Oh, really?.

I made sure to keep my gaze away from her eyes as I tried to tug on my hand, but it was no use.

"Would you please let me go." I tried to sound composed and even, but she still wouldn't let me go.

"You still have to explain to me, remember?"

I snapped.

"Let me go!"

Luckily no one was nearby to witness my outburst.
Otherwise they'd think I was the crazed.

Sana almost immediately let go of my hand. "I'm sorry," she said regretfully.

I didn't bother looking up at her to see just how sorry she was. I instead turned and started to walk away.
But my conscience got the better of me as I stopped and turned around. This time looking straight into her eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry about your face. But whatever this
is," I emphasized, pointing between us, "isn't going to work. We're too different."

And with that, I walked off, not caring to see her reaction, but mostly too scared to see it. Just in case it wasn't what I was hoping.

I ran into the mansion just in time to see Lisa rushing towards me with a terrified look on her face.

"Tzuyu! It's your dad."

I sprinted past her and pushed through the people that were blocking the doorway.

When I managed to pass through, the police cars and the SUVs were already leaving.

My father was nowhere in sight.

Next thing I knew, my mother grabbing my hand, a determined look on her face as she headed for her car.

"Mom, what's going on?" I asked her, ignoring the stares around us.

"Your father has been arrested. But it's probably just a big misunderstanding."

For some reason, I didn't think that was the case.