Magic Ball: the Billionaire in Ranch

95 Facing Ahead Secrets and Fears

The man named Zeus was the owner of the three ancient books Noah had in his hand. He was the man behind the words written on each crisp pages. Noah has yet to unveil the crucial details of the occupation he had, where he had come from. If Noah had transcribed every word accurately, Zeus would appear to be the Magic Ball’s first keeper. In his terms, he described the ball of crystal as his most prized treasure.

With one thick eyebrow raised, Noah can say that he agrees with his choice of adjectives. The Magic Ball was indeed an underlying fortune. It was a secret with its own mystery. Its very existence should be hidden, yet its contents are far dangerous if exposed. Would Noah consider himself greedy for wanting to conceal its identity? Was he only talking himself out of the guilt of not wanting to share it with anyone but himself?

The sigh escaped his chapped lips. The sun was high up the pale blue sky. Noah pushed himself out of his seat with his two good feet and headed straight to the curtains. He closes them as he rests his back on the window pane. His room dimmed, and he relinquished in the solitude it offered.

Noah had to transcribe until he exhausts the burning flame in his chest. He was feeding it with coal, triggering the fire to reach its limit. He couldn’t drain the curiosity that coiled around his mind like a poisonous snake. But now that he has come to pry open the history of the Magic Ball, perhaps he needed to deal with something far more urgent than the mysteries of an ancient book.

His brown eyes fleeted across his table. The light tapping of footsteps slowly grew louder until it stopped in front of his door. Three immediate knocks came from outside.

Noah had initially wanted to ignore whoever it was at the other side, but he deemed it rude. No matter what he feels, he should always consider his employees first. They are far more tired than him in terms of labor, after all. Noah appreciates how they work their way beyond what was supposed to be in their job descriptions. They cook him food, clean his house, and sometimes even tend to his needs. Entertaining their concerns is nothing compared to what they have done for him.

He bowed his head and rubbed at his eyes as three knocks came once more. It was Noah’s cue that something must have happened that involved his ranch. He leaned on his elbow, “You can come in,” he called from his desk.

The door opened as Noah lifted his head, “Good morning, Wynn,” a small smile playing on his lips, “up for some early business, eh?” The lad stood at the end of the door, his face solemn. Noah was bothered by it, though he would have to wait for the lad to speak what’s bugging on his mind.

“It’s Snowflake,” he said shortly. Noah noticed the gloss that shone in his eyes when he lifted his face.

Noah c****d his head to the side, his heartbeat quickening, “What about her?” he had a feeling it would come to this. It was the least of his worries. Instead, what he anticipated was shoved at the back of his mind. Presumably, it was his unconscious that wants to avoid the hurt he’s about to feel. “Tell me. Quick,” he demanded this time. He couldn’t take the silence that lingered between them.

* * *

“We should call the vet,” Noah heard Thomas say when he entered Snowflake’s cubicle. His forehead was lined with sweat, his hair ruffled by the wind. He even forgot where his favorite newsboy hat on the way here. Noah kneeled on the stack of hay. He had his hand over Snowflake’s mare, his fingers looping on her silky, iridescent fur. The mare’s stomach moved up and down—a positive indication that her lungs are functioning and are in good condition.

The sight of Snowflake had Noah unleash a conflict within him. Technically, it was all his fault. The blame was supposed to be his alone. He was the root cause of why Snowflake refused to eat any food. If he hadn’t set his mind on admitting his feelings for Diana, then she would have still been on this farm, and Snowflake wouldn’t have to feel like her owner abandoned her. Noah was a firm believer that animals had feelings. The magnificent mare before him was proof that they are capable of emotions.

Nancy mimicked his actions. Soon, she was beside him, her hair tucked behind both ears. “I don’t know why Di no longer comes here, but no medicine would cure her now,” her eyes settled intently on Snowflake. “I hope she reconsiders our invitation.”

The doubt was there, and Noah was convinced that Diana had wanted to avoid him at all costs. He couldn’t understand why. She wasn’t the person whose feelings were rejected. And it’s not like Noah blatantly told anyone what encounter they had gone through on her birthday. He had a list of guesses, and one by one, Noah had been crossing them out. Up till this day, he couldn’t figure the woman out.

Thomas didn’t take his eyes off Noah. His eyes were blank, and yet Noah could feel the heavy feeling it brought on his back. He turned around and joined him in a contest that gets to blink first.

“What are we to do now, boss?” Thomas asked monotonously. He crossed his arms over his chest while Wynn stood beside him. The lad’s eyes moved back and forth between the two of them as if he was assessing the situation at hand.

Noah knew he was getting pissed when he schooled his face into neutrality. At the same time, he was pissed that Snowflake had to suffer because of his personal affairs. He knew the solution to this problem all along. He was just too afraid to face it. Both he and Diana were.

His hand slipped inside his pocket. He slid his phone screen open and pressed the speed-dial to number six. He hadn’t changed it, not even when Joanna or Jennifer agreed to date him. His employees watched as he placed the screen of his phone over his ears.

There were three long, antagonizing rings. The fourth came, and Noah lost the hope he grasped on. By the sixth ring, he attempted to redial her number. But then the ringing vanished. There was shuffling and shallow breathing. Then, Diana spoke to him after months of ignoring each other’s presence.

“Hello?” She asked softly. “I didn’t expect this.”

“Neither did I,” Noah answered fast. Why—why was he nervous? Why were his hands shaking? They are all clammy, and a chill traveled down his spine. He hadn’t known her voice had such a drastic effect on him up until this day. “It’s about Snowflake,” he started to reduce the resurfacing, unnecessary feelings, “she’s unwell.”

Diana’s voice cracked, “Oh, please tell me she’s eating well?” he heard more shuffling as if the woman was sitting upright on her bed. “Is she?” Diana pressed.

Even from the other end of the line, Noah could sense her worry. She hadn’t change one bit. It was indeed the only quality of hers he can predict—her feelings.

Noah cleared his throat when he saw Wynn mouthing, “Tell her to come!”

Thomas frowned deeper, “As if he could.” The older man grumbled as he huffed.

“Don’t pressure him!” Nancy whispered angrily, her hands on her hips, “let him decide what to do.”

Noah appreciates her sound judgment in critical situations.

“I have to be honest with you,” he said lowly, “Snowflake isn’t doing well.”

“Did she caught a sickness? Something terminal?”

Noah recognized the shake in her voice as he shook his head, “Something along the lines. She misses you.” The words were out of his voice in an instant. He doesn’t regret one bit of it. In fact, a few months ago, he had meant to tell her the same words if he hadn’t still been over her. Noah knew how important Diana is—both to him before and up until the ranch’s current state right now.

There was a long pause, one that Noah considered being another rejection. He breathed and opened his mouth to say something when Diana spoke again.

“Tomorrow—” her voice cracked, and perhaps Noah was losing signal, “I will go tomorrow. I’ll message you once I arrive.”

Noah couldn’t believe he’s about to see her again. He kneeled back to Snowflake, the horses’ eyes wide with relief. “Did you hear that, Snowflake? Diana’s visiting.”

* * *

That night, to place another memory of Diana behind the wooden box he sealed in his mind, he talked with Jennifer for hours. They had been sharing endless stories, and Noah has spent his entire evening speaking about what has happened to Snowflake and how Diana would come to visit after a long while.

He looked at the monitor as Jennifer combed her bright, red hair. She angled her head to the side, the brush falling on the tip of her hair. Her lush green eyes searched Noah’s for a second, and he took it as a warning that she was suspicious of something he wasn’t aware of. Come to think of it. He didn’t know if she had raised awareness on him and Diana’s messy paths for the past ten months.

“Say it,” he said with a laugh, “you’re bothered about something.”

Noah watched as Jennifer moved from his screen. Somehow, it feels as if she was suspecting him of being unfaithful. He hopes her doubt would be lifted when they see each other again.

“Nothing, really,” the redhead flashed him a grin, “but I’m happy that Snowflake ate three carrots today.”

Of course, as the horses’ owner, Noah couldn’t be happier. He felt his happiness when Snowflake chewed three whole carrots on par with anyone who witnessed the miracle.

“I felt the same way, too,” Noah replied with a gentle smile.

Soon, the video-calling each other ended at midnight, with Jennifer blowing his kiss from her screen. Noah resumed transcribing, his mind becoming sound after the turmoil.

As he scanned the newly transcribed texts he had typed on his monitor’s screen, Noah let out a shaky breath. “This—” he inhaled, “it’s unbelievable.” He scrolled down the document and read page after page. New revelations unfolded before him like scribes. He read the phrase: times are ten times faster when you are inside. Thus, anything or anyone placed inside would accelerate as well.

That explained why the animals grew faster than he expects them to be. Noah had to stop reading from that. He ran down a hand through his face. The challenges and shocking discoveries kept coming his way without letting him breathe fresh air.