Hasty Feisty

Chapter 8 | FIRST FREEDOM AND LIE

I'm currently in my room, dressing up as today is the day when I'll finally visit my stepmother in the hospital after a week.

"I accepted the offer..." I thought. "Meaning I'll get to visit my stepmother and maybe step outside for a while."

The credibility is low, but Allura still has a glimmer of hope, like a little flame burning brightly in her heart, filling the void left by the past.

"Where is she? Why is she taking so long?" Leo groaned as he looked at his wristwatch. The men are waiting downstairs, except for Zacharias who handled some business.

"She's probably still changing. They always take longer. Get used to it." Lorenzo answered as he lit up a cigarette.

"I don't have time for this," Leo said.

"Neither do I," Toshiro said in ennui. "I better not see some minions in that damn hospital."

"Security. Twenty-four seven." Lorenzo answered while making gestures after taking his cigarette out.

"I'll check her," Leo grunted as he went upstairs.

Leo knocked on her door, but there was no answer.

He knocked again, no answer.

He started to panic, thinking she had fled, so he opened the door, swaying it open as what he saw made his eyes widen.

I looked back and hurriedly covered my body with my hands as my eyes widened. I'm just wearing a towel around my body as I was changing.

"s**t," Leo cursed under his breath as he quickly closed the door.

Leo quickly went downstairs as the men saw his flustered face.

"Such in a rush, Haitani." Kanji commented as they noticed the haste in Leo's walk.

"She's dressing up, just wait for her." Leo cleared his throat.

"And...?" Dominic and Lorenzo asked suspiciously.

"And what?"

"Bro probably saw her naked." Lorenzo snorted.

"I don't find any amusement in that at all. You've never seen a woman, Leo?" Lorenzo added, then walked out of the mansion. "Just call me when Allura is done."

They heard quick footsteps on the stairs, and I walked downstairs.

"Took you long enough." Leo muttered as I furrowed my brows at him, remembering what happened a while ago.

"Where's Zacharias?"

Toshiro asked, his voice catching everyone's attention as silence ate them. Lorenzo, Leo, and Dominic are all in one vehicle while the others were in the other van.

"He'll catch up later," Lorenzo answered.

And there, I arrive at the destination.

I looked outside the window and saw the hospital.

They parked just in front of the building, where they could really see me and the entrance to the hospital.

"Can I go now?" I asked in a bored yet rushed tone.

They looked at each other before nodding.

"Wait, Allura." One of them called before I opened the door of the van.

I sighed.

"Come back after an hour."

I nodded in hesitation, having no choice but to follow. I went out of the van and loudly slides the door shut in front of them.

I walked to the hospital entrance, but I can still feel their stares from the window van.

"Gosh..." I rolled my eyes as I went inside the elevator.

I noticed that the hospital has more security and guards today than usual.

"I'm not going to escape damn. You are all doing too much." You sighed, glaring at the security inside the elevator because you knew that these were all Regio's.

The elevator dinged, and I walked out, finding my stepmother's room. I didn't waste time making a run for it.

Finally finding it, I opened the door and she's still lying there, unconsciously.

Tubes were stuck in her body, still bruised body. It's like nothing has changed since my last visit last week.

"Hey..." I grabbed a chair and sat beside the bed, looking at her with pity.

A part of me believed those filths are somehow involved in this, yet my guts tell a different route.

I laid my head down on the bed, feeling my headache as I grew fatigued, stress and overwork taking over my body.

"If I tell you a story I bet you won't believe it." I chuckled as I talked to my mother as if she was awake.

"Guess what? I got kidnapped but they let me go like 'ok you're free now'" I laughed.

"I'm like an inch away from death. Damn, I don't understand this whole sorcery. I'm so close to believing that they're sort of a ritual group." I scratch the back of my head as I looked around awkwardly.

"But still, this is like a whole dream," I groaned. "More like a nightmare."

"But don't worry, I think this will be the way to find out some information about my beloved, and maybe... just maybe... I'll finally meet them!" Allura laughed, tears prickling in her eyes as she was caressing her stepmother's hand, missing her presence already.

"That's why... please wake up... We still have to meet my parents and live in our little apartment."

"But I'll buy us a mansion soon. Maybe I can scrub some money off of those filths." I raised my hand and laughed, but I jolted then was cut off as the door opened.

"O-oh, it's you." Allura cleared her throat, her face red from embarrassment.

"Allura? Where have you been?!" Azazel asked as he walked to you.

"Kidnapped."

"Just went out," I said nonchalantly, still not forgetting what happened the last day.

"Went out? For a f*****g week?"

"Why do you care?" I answered, still looking at my stepmother.

"Right." Azazel nodded, but still not believing me.

"Why are you here?"

"When you weren't there, I was visiting and looking after Ms. Eri," Azazel scratched the back of his head. "I hope you don't mind."

"Kind of."

Silence fell in the room, only the ticking of the clock was heard.

"If we're not going to talk about something and just stare at each other into thin air, then I'll be going now." I said then I placed a goodbye kiss on my stepmother as I stood up, walking to the door until I heard Azazel talk.

"I'll drive you home."

"That's not possible." And there, I went out of the room.

I went out of the hospital, opening the glass entrance door, but someone called me.

"Allura, let's talk about this." Azazel pleaded.

"Can we talk about this for a moment? Look... I-I don't know if this is because of what happened last day—" He added.

"Just— just please Azazel, please I don't need any of your pity," I said as I turned to him.

"...What happened to you?" And there, it clicked on Azazel's mind. The way she talked, the way she acted, the way she had a bad temper, something was off about Allura.

"I..." My words stopped, getting caught in my tongue as I widened my eyes, recalling that it was almost time, that Regio's van was just parked right in the parking lot in front of the hospital, and that they could obviously see both of us.

"Are you okay? Allura, tell m—" Azazel tried to hold me but I only stepped back. My face turned pale as I shook my head.

"Listen to me, just go." I said as I staggered back and walked away quickly from him, going to the parking lot.

"Huh?" While Azazel was left perplexed.

I ran to the van, catching my breath as the door opened. I looked up and my breath hitched as I was met by Zacharias. My eyes widened, trying to compose myself so as to not be obvious. I stepped inside the van but then was caught off guard by Zacharias' question.

"Nervous?" Zacharias asked.

"Uh, yeah. Nervous about my mother's state." I reasoned out.

As soon as I entered the vehicle, I kept my head low. I didn't notice the side glances and smirks from the men.

"So... what happened in there?" Dominic was the first one to ask.

"I-I visited my mother, and I bought some food in the cafeteria." I whispered, almost trembling. I know damn well that they saw what happened earlier.

"That's it?" Zacharias muttered.

I nodded.

"Hmm. Almost believable." Zacharias hummed as he tilted his head and faced me.

His fingers pressed on my cheeks, forcing me to face him. He looked down when he observed my lips trembling. I was biting my lips in hopes to stop the quivering, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Stop that," Zacharias' thumb went to my lips, pulling it down. "Don't bite your lips."

I felt a sense of tension arising, but for my sake, I ignored it.

"So now, tell me, what else happened earlier?"

"I-I said nothing..." I said, furrowing my brows as I looked down, not wanting to look at his eyes.

"Hey, don't look away." He said as he just lifted my face, making me look at him.

"Shh, you don't want the others to hear your lies too, right? Be thankful I'm the only one who can hear. You don't know what lies beneath their skin." He added. I glanced around, they were all busy talking, occupied with their phones.

"But you know, I also don't like it when someone's lying to me." Zacharias' voice was low.

"Make sure you're not lying to me, f*****g remember that." He said, my lips on a pout as I felt tears prickle in my eyes, but not letting them fall.

"We're here now, Sir." The driver said, and I took the chance to pry my head away from his grip, looking back at him with a frustrated expression before leaving the vehicle.

I quickly opened the door and went inside the mansion. Before they could call me, I already ran upstairs, and they heard the echo of the door slam shut loudly.

They'll let it slide... for now.

The men were in their lounge, just sitting and talking about business to kill some time.

"Are you really sure that's him?" Lorenzo asked. I can't be sure of anything these days.

Zacharias closed his eyes and sighed, remembering what happened a while ago.

"What took you so long?" Dominic asked as Zacharias entered the van.

"Had some things to handle." Zacharias only shrugged.

"Where's Allura? Did she go inside now?" Zacharias asked.

"Yeah, it's been like an hour now," Lorenzo said as he checked his wristwatch.

Minutes passed, and the others were busy with their own business, occupied with their phones as Zacharias saw Allura go out of the hospital entrance.

But his eyes narrowed and he paused when he noticed her with a familiar man, who he couldn't see since he was hidden behind the wall, just in front of her, and he could only see his back.

Zacharias' brows furrowed as I rushed to the vehicle, and as the doors opened, he noticed my pale face as if I had seen a ghost.

"Nervous?" Zacharias asked. Almost a question that just came out of his mouth, and he wasn't totally planning to ask that.

"Uh, yeah. Nervous about my mother's state." Allura reasoned out.

"So... what happened in there?" Dominic was the first one to ask.

"I-I visited my mother, and I bought some food in the cafeteria," I said.

"That's it?" Zacharias asked.

I gulped before nodding, and the van drove off.

Zacharias looked outside the window as they passed by the hospital entrance.

And there, his eyes widened as their eyes met on the window.

A shocked expression on both of their faces.

"Is that...?"