Chapter 2.1: Testing the Heart
1664 Words
Inside our estate, my bedroom was meticulously designed, looking every bit like a sanctuary fit for a princess. My petite frame was currently lounging across the plush mattress, engaged in a group video call with my closest friends. However, one specific person had yet to join the call.
"What is taking Al so long? Does he have absolutely no concept of punctuality?" I grumbled, tossing a glare at my screen.
"He's probably tied up with something," Marco reasoned.
"Please, his 'emergencies' never involve anything other than women," Pita scoffed.
"I'm right here, so you can stop talking behind my back now," Al's voice suddenly chimed in as his face popped up on the screen.
"Well, look who finally decided to join us! Did you have such a blissful time that you entirely forgot about our important meeting, Al?" I was the first to lecture him.
"It's not what you think at all," Al countered instantly, his words tumbling out rapidly.
From what I could see, he seemed completely flustered, defending himself desperately as if he were terrified I would form a negative impression of him. Little did I know, he had thoroughly tested his heart tonight, and the undeniable verdict was that his heart could hold no one else but me.
"Oh wow! Look who's suddenly keeping secrets," Pita chimed in with a teasing grin. "You used to be an open book about these things."
"Alright, let's stop bickering and focus on the plan," Marco interrupted, steering the conversation back on track. "If we drag this out any longer, it's going to get complicated. Hanni, has your brother left the house yet?"
"He left about ten minutes ago. That's why I called you guys immediately," I answered, checking my bedroom door to be absolutely sure.
"I think we should hit the road by 8:00 PM. That way, we can make good time," Marco suggested, eager to get a head start before my brother could catch wind of anything.
"Can you make it out, Hanni?" Al asked, his voice laced with a thick layer of worry, looking terrified that I might get left behind.
"Of course I can! Just make sure you guys hurry up and pick me up. I'm terrified Brother Vi will return early."
"Got it. Let's hang up and pack our bags."
Escaping the mansion turned out to be an absolute ordeal for me. I had to slip out through the back exits of our estate. By the time I finally cleared the massive perimeter walls, I had been walking for fifteen nerve-wracking minutes, my heart pounding with a mix of exhilarating excitement and sheer terror that someone would catch me red-handed. This was, after all, the very first time I had ever dared to sneak out of the house like this.
Please don't let Brother Vi be too furious with me... I prayed silently as I hurried along the dark path. But even if given a chance to turn back now, I would never do it—the burning desire to go on this adventure far outweighed my fear.
By the time we reached the halfway point of our journey, the night had grown deep. We pulled over at a roadside convenience store to let the driver grab a drink to shake off the drowsiness, while Pita and I stocked up on snacks for the rest of the trip. Marco and Al had agreed to take turns behind the wheel. Marco had taken the first shift from the start, so it was now Al's turn to drive, leaving Pita and me to relax in the back seat.
"Al, open up..." I called out from behind, leaning forward. The moment we left the mini-mart, I had opened a bag of snacks and had been eagerly hand-feeding Al as he drove.
"Can I get some water too, please?" Al choked out playfully.
I was so focused on stuffing snacks into his mouth that I completely forgot to offer him a drink, leaving his throat terribly dry.
"Here," I giggled, popping a straw into a water bottle and holding it up to his lips.
"Seriously, Pita? Do you have absolutely no conscience?" Marco complained loudly, casting a dramatic, pouting glance at the girl beside him. "Hanni is constantly feeding Al, yet you haven't offered me a single bite."
"And what exactly is wrong with your own hands?" Pita shot back, pointing directly at the bag of chips Marco was already holding in his lap.
"You clearly don't understand the psychology behind this," Marco countered smoothly. "Feeding yourself versus being hand-fed... the level of sweetness is on a whole different scale."
"You're taking this way too far, man," Al grumbled at Marco.
I sat there staring at them through the rearview mirror, my blinking eyes filled with complete bewilderment over their strange banter.
"Oh, if that's the case, I can feed you too! Open wide, Marco," I offered innocently, leaning forward to press a snack against Marco's lips. He happily opened his mouth to accept it.
I caught Al's expression in the mirror, but I couldn't understand why an instant wave of raw jealousy was flaring up inside his chest.
"That's enough, Hanni. I'm full, so stop handing out food," Al snapped, his voice suddenly tight and harsh. "Go sit back properly in your seat. Leaning forward like that is entirely blocking my view and getting in the way."
"Wow, look who gets grumpy the moment he's full!" I huffed, thoroughly offended. I had spent the last hour selflessly feeding him my own snacks, only to be barked at the moment he was satisfied. Talk about ungrateful.
"Trust me, his stomach isn't what's full right now—his jealousy is," Marco muttered under his breath, though I barely caught his words.
"What on earth are you two talking about?" Pita asked, poking her head forward this time. She had noticed Marco making cryptic remarks about Al twice now, and her suspicion was thoroughly aroused.
"Stay out of it," Marco said, playfully pushing her head back into her seat.
"Are you two hiding something from us?" I chimed in, echoing Pita's suspicion while still completely missing the underlying meaning.
"Nothing at all," Al answered quickly on behalf of both of them. It felt as if he were trying to stop Marco from opening his mouth to blow their cover.
"Gosh, I'm really starting to get sleepy," Pita murmured, letting out a massive yawn before finally confessing her exhaustion.
"Don't you dare fall asleep on us!" Al warned sharply. "If you sleep now, I'm making you take over the wheel next."
"Hmph, how ruthless."
"Just hold on until we reach the hotel, then you can sleep all you want," Marco added, backing Al up.
"Are you sleepy too, Hanni?" Pita turned to ask me.
"Not even a little bit! I'm way too excited for this," I beamed, my eyes sparkling. "Just riding in a car together like this with everyone is already so much fun."
"Oh, it's going to be a hundred times better once we actually get there," Marco promised.
"Really? Wow, hearing that makes me realize I definitely don't regret sneaking out of the house at all." Just imagining the pristine beach and the open ocean sent my spirits soaring straight to our destination.
"Well, just wait until Brother Vi finds out," Marco teased, intentionally trying to spook me. "Knowing him, he'll probably drag you back by the scruff of your neck."
"Oh my gosh, you're right... I completely forgot about that!" I gasped in sudden realization.
I frantically plunged my hand into my purse, pulling out my phone and immediately shutting off the network connection.
"Whoa... playing dirty, are we?" Marco laughed. "Brother Vi is going to lose his absolute mind. You better make sure his wrath doesn't spill over onto us."
"Don't worry, I've already prepared myself to face his anger later," I said determinedly.
"Then why did you turn off your phone?"
"Because I don't want my ears ringing with his lectures right now. I'll turn it back on tomorrow... Trust me, Brother Vi won't dare come chasing after us out here."
The Rian Mansion
Meanwhile, back at the mansion, my brother Devi returned from the gala in the middle of the night. As I found out later, he never failed to check on me, no matter how late it was.
"Has Hanni been asleep for long?" Devi asked the moment he stepped inside.
"She went up a long time ago, Master Vi," Lily, one of our housemaids, reported respectfully. "Ever since you left for the event, Miss Hanni stayed inside her room and hasn't come downstairs at all." Lily was around the same age as me and we had grown up playing together since childhood, making her far closer to me than any of the other staff.
"Why did she go to bed so early tonight? Is she feeling unwell?" A wave of worry washed over Devi, and he hurriedly marched up the grand staircase toward my bedroom.
Standing before my door, he knocked firmly several times. When no response came from inside, an uneasy feeling crept into his chest. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The bedroom was pristine, but completely vacant—there wasn't a single trace of me anywhere. Devi quickly checked the bathroom, then moved to the walk-in closet, but both were completely empty.
As he turned back toward my vanity table, a small piece of paper caught his eye. He walked over and picked it up, his eyes scanning the words I had left behind.
It was my note, asking to go on a trip...
- Writer
