Eternity With You

2. Accident?

"Finally, I found you, darling."

As soon as the man's captivating voice fell on her ears, Irene woke up with a start. She was gasping for breath, sweat dribbling down her forehead. She frantically looked around her to see where she was, the familiar walls of her bedroom staring back at her. Only when she was certain that she was not in the enigmatic castle, but in her apartment, tucked in her small bed, did Irene heave in relief. She licked her lips which had gone dry in fear after the horrendous dream she had seen.

Irene grabbed the bottle from the bedside table and drank the water, soothing her tensed nerves. The cold water worked like magic, and finally, her erratic heartbeat returned to normal. With a frustrated sigh, she ran her hand through her hair, recalling her dream.

It was always the same scene, same place, and the same man. No changes at all. It always started with her standing in a beige dress in front of a dark, mysterious castle at night. Irene remembered the mystifying man's red eyes, a color so strange yet beautiful. They captivated her like no other as they glowed in the candlelights.

"Why do I keep seeing this dream?" Irene held her head, trying to decipher the meaning behind it. "Who is that man, and what is that place?" She wondered, the man's charming face flashing before her eyes. It was always him. None, but him. He occupied her dreams every night, luring her to him every time. Irene had no idea who he was and where the place was. She had never seen the man or the castle as far as she could remember.

The alarm blared, snapping Irene out of her thoughts. With a grumble, she pushed herself off the bed, forgetting about her dream as she dragged her body to the bathroom. She had an important meeting with her client, and she wanted the contract at all costs. Everyone in her company had placed their hopes on her, including her Boss. If everything went well, her company would get a billion-dollar contract, and they could enter the international business.

Irene stared at the girl in the mirror, her brown eyes staring back at her. She looked exhausted, and Irene wondered if it was because of the upcoming meeting. Not dwelling on it more, she got ready for her meeting.

Irene dropped her files on the small dining table, padding towards the kitchen in search of her breakfast. She quickly set up two sandwiches and a glass of juice as she went through her files carefully, trying to make sure she had everything she wanted. Though the meeting was scheduled for the forenoon, she had some files she had to run through her Boss. So, she was in hurry.

She finished the sandwiches in three large bites and gulped the juice, licking her lips. Irene threw the dirty utensils into the dishwasher before she grabbed her keys and rushed out. She was glad that her neighbor was nowhere in sight. The old woman nagged a lot at every meeting, irking Irene every time. Though she had good intentions at heart, her nosy character annoyed Irene, and she tried as she could to avoid her.

However, her relief was short-lived when the door to the adjacent apartment opened, and the old woman peeked out, her lips widening in a grin on seeing Irene. "Irene, darling." The woman chirped, opening the door wide, and Irene cursed her bad luck silently. 'Why did she have to find me? I managed to save myself from her for almost a week.'

Though she was vexed, Irene donned a smile and faced the old woman. "Good morning, Mrs. Briggs."

"Good morning, dear. You have grown thin." The woman commented, making Irene want to roll her eyes. "Has work been stressful, dear?"

"A little, Mrs. Briggs," Irene replied, controlling her urge to run away from the place.

"That is why I tell you to quit your job and find yourself a good man. You need to look after yourself, dear."

"Mrs. Briggs, I am sorry. I am in hurry." Irene was done entertaining the old woman. This was what she spoke about every time they met, and Irene knew her every word by heart now. "I have an important meeting to attend." Even before her old neighbor could respond, Irene walked toward the elevator.

"You need to take care of yourself, dear." The elevator arrived much to Irene's relief, and she hurried in before the old woman could continue. "When I was your age..." Irene did not hear further, for the elevator doors closed, separating the two women.

With a click, she opened her car, priding upon herself for making it here on her own. Being an orphan had never been easy, especially for Irene. She had to face struggles at every step of her life until she made it to where she was. Although to others, she seemed to live a lavish life, only Irene knew how much she had struggled to reach where she was. Donning on her shades, she ignited the engine and zoomed out of the building, smiling at the young security guard, who stood up seeing her, his eyes twinkling.

Irene knew that the guy liked her. Who didn't? Most of her male counterparts had a crush on her, and some had been bold enough to even approach her. However, she had rejected all of them. She was not ready for any relationship, and even if she wanted to date a guy, her dark past prohibited her from taking the first step. She was well and comfortable living alone. She could care about love in the future.

Irene stopped at the junction when the signal turned red, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. She did not budge when she heard whistles from the men from the car beside her. Their lewd remarks did not faze her, for she had already taken note of the car number. She would hand over the details to her friend who worked in the police department. He would take care of them for her.

The moment the signal turned green, Irene pressed on the accelerator, smirking at the car that was yet to catch up with her. But her smirk vanished when she saw a truck speeding towards her from the opposite side. Irene tried to steer the wheel, trying to avoid the truck. However, to her horror, there was another truck right behind her.

"f**k," She cursed. Irene was trapped. She realized at once that the trucks were out to get her, and she wondered who wanted her dead. But she could deduce no one. She barely had any enemies and the ones she had were rotting in jail. Irene did not have time to think about other matters. She had to save herself first. The only escape route left for her was to abandon her car before the two trucks smashed right into her car.

The road was completely deserted, and the car she had seen during the junction was nowhere in sight. Picking up her bag, Irene controlled her steering. It was difficult to jump off a speeding car. Slowing down was not an option for her as the truck behind her was catching up on her. She had to jump even though she would be injured. Being injured was better than being dead.

However, Irene miscalculated the timing of her jump. She did not even have the time when her car jerked forward after being hit from behind. The girl groaned, the pain shooting through her spine. She noticed that the other truck had stopped moving. Again, her car jerked, and this time, the impact was so strong that it tumbled over, throwing Irene in her seat. She hit her head hard and blood started to trickle down her forehead. But this was not the end of her misery.

The truck hit her car, sending her tumbling again, and this time, she was injured severely. Blood was oozing out from places she did not know, and her entire body ached. Her eyes turned blurry. She blinked several times to keep herself awake. But her eyes lids were turning heavy, and the last thing she saw before she fell unconscious was a man walking towards her.