Love or Vengeance

Chapter 2: Mr. Grim Reaper

Louise's POV

I woke up feeling happy, took a shower, and got ready for school. Daddy and I still hadn't talked since Kuya said he wouldn't be home until Friday. Every night before I sleep and every morning when I wake up, I pray with all my heart that Daddy will go back to being the sweet, caring, and loving dad he used to be. I just want him to show me he loves me again.

"Good morning, Miss Louise," a smiling staff member greeted me. I didn't recognize him at first, but his name tag said Nicky. I smiled and returned the greeting—it's my way of showing appreciation to everyone at the mansion. He took my things, and we rode down in the elevator together.

"Good morning, Kuya!" I greeted my older brother cheerfully as he had breakfast.

"Good morning, Princess," he smiled, and I kissed his cheek. "Looks like you're full of energy today."

"Always," I replied, sitting beside him. "Kuya, I have an art exhibit tomorrow. Would you like to come?" I've loved painting since I was eight and started showcasing my work at sixteen. Daddy doesn't approve—he wants me to focus on the family business.

"Sure, Princess. What time?" he asked, setting aside his reading.

"Tomorrow. Sorry for the late notice," I said, lowering my head. Kuya hates last-minute changes; I get it—he's busy and values keeping promises.

"No worries. I don't have meetings tomorrow," he smiled.

"Thanks, Kuya."

"By the way, you forgot your contact lenses," he added.

I quickly ran upstairs, put them on, and returned to the dining area.

My eyes are dark blue—an inheritance from Mom that Kuya Kyle didn't get. Only my closest friends, family, and the mansion staff know about them.

Because dark blue eyes are rare, I hide them to avoid standing out or being asked why they look different. Besides, it's been a secret from me since I was little.

Kuya ruffled my hair and said goodbye before leaving. Shortly after, I said goodbye to Yaya.

Stepping outside, my bodyguards greeted me with a synchronized bow. One opened the door and helped me into the limousine.

"Butler Kim, let's head to the Art Gallery Museum first," I said. That's all I really know about him. Though he's over 40, he's still strong and agile—sometimes hard to shake off.

"Yes, Miss," he replied into his earpiece. "We're going to the Art Gallery Museum first." He was speaking to the other car carrying my eight bodyguards.

I leaned my head against the window, watching the scenery pass by as my mind drifted.

It had been three years since that terrible event—the one that changed my life forever.

Mommy and I huddled together, trembling with fear. Daddy was on the phone with the kidnappers—over thirty masked figures dressed in black. The only detail I could remember was the skull with a halo tattoo on their left hands.

"Mommy, will we get out of here?" I whispered, glancing at my watch—we'd been captive for nearly four days.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Daddy will find a way," she said, trying to comfort me despite her bruises. They gave us food and water, but every night they separated me from Mommy, locking me alone in a small cell. Each morning, we were reunited, and Mommy urged me not to cry when apart—it only made her sadder.

A harsh voice boomed through the phone. "Mr. Lopez, we want 500 million. No police. One wrong move, and we kill your family." The kidnapper's cold laugh sent chills down my spine.

He grabbed me by the hair, pain flooding my face. "Please, don't hurt my daughter!" Mommy pleaded, but he shoved her aside violently.

Daddy's furious voice came through the phone. "I'll give you whatever—just don't hurt my wife and daughter!"

"Princess, hang in there. Daddy will get us out," he whispered.

The kidnapper ended the call and barked orders. They locked us in a tiny, muddy room crawling with earthworms.

Mommy was taken away briefly, kissing my forehead and whispering, "I love you, Princess. Take care of Kuya and Daddy." I nodded, terrified.

Hours passed. Mommy didn't return. Tears streamed down my face as I sat frozen, staring at the crawling earthworms.

Suddenly, sirens wailed. Doors banged. Hope surged when I saw Kuya and Daddy burst in.

"Daddy! Kuya!" I cried, hugging them tightly.

But their tears broke my heart. Daddy was silent.

"Is Mom, okay?" I asked.

Their silence crushed me.

Kuya lifted me gently, "Ride on my back, Princess."

The police swarmed the building, bright lights blinding after days in darkness.

When I woke up, I looked around desperately for Mommy.

"Daddy, where is Mommy?" My voice cracked.

His silence spoke volumes.

Tears streaming, he finally said, "She's gone."

Those words echoed in my mind, suffocating me.

"No! This can't be real!" I screamed, ripping off my IV, blood dripping from my hand.

"Daddy!" he rushed to me, but I fought to break free.

"We have to accept the truth," he begged, tears falling.

I didn't listen.

Doctors and nurses rushed in, restraining me.

"Let me go! Mommy!" I sobbed, but no one answered.

Sleep took me.

I brushed the tears away with the back of my hand. That memory still claws at me in the quiet moments, and I've made a silent vow—one day, they'll answer for what they did to her.

After Mommy was buried, that's when Daddy began to change. He threw himself into work and we rarely saw each other anymore—something I eventually got used to.

While Daddy was busy with business, I started painting and entered my works in exhibits. In fact, I've earned quite a bit from it.

But every buyer wanted one thing—to know who I really was. They started calling me the Mysterious Painter. Haha, it's kind of amusing, really. I don't hide my identity just to be mysterious. No... there's a deeper reason. One tied to a plan that's almost ready to unfold.

"Miss Louise, we've arrived," Butler Kim's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. My bodyguards immediately stepped forward, forming a wall around me as they helped me out of the car.

"Butler Kim, please wait for me here," I said, trying to keep my tone light, almost pleading. But as usual, his face was unreadable.

"That's not allowed, Miss."

I sighed, already expecting that answer. "Fine. But just you—no one else," I smirked, flicking my gaze toward the guards. He gave a small nod and fell in step behind me as I walked toward the building.

I was still in my EIS uniform, so I wasn't surprised when a few people stared. Students weren't exactly allowed here during school hours, and my presence stood out like paint on a white canvas.

The guard at the entrance blocked our path, clearly unsure about letting me in. Without wasting time, I pulled out my phone and called Emilie, the event coordinator.

"Besty!" I called as soon as I saw her approaching, her bright smile lighting up her face.

"Hi, Besty!" she greeted, wrapping me in a warm hug, which I returned without hesitation. She spoke to the guard and quickly cleared the way for us. Butler Kim stayed outside the door, ever the shadow, while Emilie and I stepped into the exhibit room where my paintings were on display.

"Good thing your bodyguards aren't in here," she whispered with a grin. "Sometimes they're kind of scary, you know?"

I shook my head with a smile.

"Hmm, Besty, about what we talked about before." She was opening up about her boyfriend and his best friend opening a coffee shop, and since I'm apparently the favorite painter of the boyfriend's best friend's mom, they wanted me to do the artwork for the shop.

"Besty, sorry, but I'm really not sure. You know I can't reveal who I am, and I can't just sneak away," I whispered, glancing toward the door where Butler Kim was standing. Suddenly her shoulders dropped and she looked disappointed.

"It's okay, I understand your situation," she said sincerely.

"But if you promise me that while we're working there, it'll just be us—no one else—then why not?" Her face lit up, nodding repeatedly.

"Oops," I interrupted. "What about the CCTV?"

She smiled broadly again.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," she said.

"I'll find some time to sneak out. I'll just call you, okay?" I whispered to her.

"You can count on me. Thank you so much, Bestfriend." She hugged me tightly. "Oops, sorry! Hehe, I'm just so excited."

After we talked through the details for tomorrow's Exhibit, I said goodbye, and she walked me outside.

"Butler Kim, let's head to EIS now."

"Yes, Miss," he replied.

Butler Kim opened the door for me while my bodyguards surrounded me again. Even after three years of having a security team, I still wasn't used to it. They all wore formal attire and earpieces—always like that. When I'm at school, they spread out across the whole tertiary campus.

After school ended, I hurried to pack my things because I needed to escape.

I immediately called Emilie, and luckily, she answered right away.

"Besty?" Emilie's voice came through the line.

"Let's meet at the usual place, okay?"

"Sure, I'll wait for you," she said before hanging up.

Carefully but quickly, I headed to the back of our building where my secret passage was. I grabbed a bolo and ran to the wall, leapt, and grabbed onto it. Without much trouble, I climbed up and jumped across to the other side.

I ran as fast as I could because I only had a few minutes before they'd realize I'd 'escaped' again. But because I was rushing...

A loud, long horn blared from a vehicle. I didn't know why, but I felt like I couldn't lift my feet to avoid it. I just closed my eyes and then—

The screeching of tires sliding, clearly from the vehicle speeding too fast, then slamming on the brakes. I didn't feel anything hit me... or maybe I was already dead?

"Hey! Are you stupid or what?" The angry voice snapped me back. I slowly opened my eyes—and holy s**t—my heart suddenly raced. He was so handsome. I was literally dumbstruck. An Adonis, I thought.

"Why aren't you saying anything!?" he demanded. If this was the guy sent to pick me up, I was definitely going with him. He was dressed all in black — shirt, pants — and looking down, I noticed his black shoes too.

"Grim Reaper," I blurted out, completely out of my mind.

"What!?" He looked stunned, breaking me out of my daydream. "Grim Reaper!? What the heck is wrong with you? Are you insane?" His eyebrows furrowed, clearly irritated — maybe even angry.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized sincerely.

"Damn it!" I exclaimed suddenly; eyes wide as blood started flowing fast from a cut on his forehead. I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward his car.

"Let go of me!" I didn't care if he got even angrier. I pushed him into the car, made him sit in the passenger seat, then quickly moved to the driver's seat.

"What the hell are you doing!" he shouted angrily, but I ignored him. After about ten minutes, we reached the nearest hospital.

"Nurse, please help him!" I called out to a nurse, who quickly took the Grim Reaper inside — crude to say, but he was still handsome.

While the nurses treated the Grim Reaper. I watched him intently from behind.

After stitching the cut on his forehead and putting on a pad, they laid him down to rest. I approached and sat on a nearby chair. He looked at me... I felt embarrassed under his gaze, so I looked away.

"I'm really, really sorry, Mr. Grim Reaper," I said, palms pressed together in a pleading gesture. "I was in such a hurry earlier..." I continued, but he didn't react at all—he just kept staring at me.

Deep sigh.

I was about to say something more when my phone suddenly rang.

"Excuse me," I said apologetically and stood up, though I stayed nearby. I couldn't leave him alone with no one to watch over him.

"Besty, I'm worried about you! Where are you now?" came Emilie's voice from the other end.

"Besty! I'm really sorry, but I won't be able to make it to our meeting today. Let's reschedule, okay?"

"That's fine, as long as I know you're safe."

"Yeah, don't worry—I'm totally okay."

"Alright then, take care. Bye, Besty!"

"Okay, bye." I ended the call.

"Look who's here," said a familiar voice, catching my attention.

I turned toward it and smiled. It was him—the coolest and kindest doctor I've ever known. About three years ago, when I was in and out of this hospital for nearly a month, he was the one who took care of me.

.........................................

Hi-Yu