Daddy Issues

Chapter Thirteen: Bloody Hearts

"Thanks for dropping me off and for breakfast." I said Doyeon smiles as she pats my cheek, "No problem, well, then we'll be off. Please take care of yourself, alright." She said I give her a small smile. "Bye, Felix," I said, walking towards the front door of the lobby. "Hey, Ryu," I greeted her. Ryujin was sitting behind the front desk. "How was it?" She asked I let a huff out, "It was alright." I said, placing my hands on my hips. "Oh, by the way, someone dropped this off for you." She said, bringing out a large blue box with a white bow on top.

"Oh my gosh, who brought it?" I asked. She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, I thought Chris dropped it off, but it wasn't him." She said I look at her with a confused look as well. "That's weird, who could've given me this," I said and began to open the box. "Oh god, what is that smell?" Ryujin asked, covering her nose. I lift the lid a bit; the smell of rotten meat filled my nostrils. "Oh, god," I said, placing my hand over my nose and shivered in disgusted.

I obliterated the lid off, "OH MY GOD!" Ryujin turns away from the box. I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn't look away from it. Who would do such a thing? "What the f**k is that thing?" Ryujin asked, looking at the open box, "It's a heart..." I said, turning away from it, tears began to form in my eyes. I felt terrified, "Your phone's ringing." I said in a soft tone. Ryujin looks at her phone and answers it at a quick pace. "Chris, uh, remember how I thought you dropped a box for Mitzi?...well, it's something terrible like major horror movie vibe," Ryujin said, looking at me with concern.

I was disgusted by this. I began to pace back and forth. "Chris said he'd be here in a minute." Ryujin said, grabbing me by my shoulders, "Hey, are you okay?" She asked. I shook my head. "Who would do such a horrible thing?" I wondered she pulls me into a hug. "Don't worry. We'll figure out who sent this. For now, I have to call the others." She said, pulling away from the hug and walks over to the front desk.

I sat on the floor of the lobby with Ryujin for two minutes. "Is there anyone who could I don't know hate you?" She asked. I look at her. "No one comes to mind other than Mona, but I never really met her that well," I said, hugging my knees. "That could be a possibility, but this is not a work of art by Mona. This has to be someone else." Ryujin said, "Hey, I got here fast as I could." I turn to see Christopher in a tuxedo, and his hair looked like he had run his hand through it multiple times.

"Good, well. It's a very unpleasant gift." Ryujin said, helping me up to my feet. "Where's the box?" He asked. I pointed at the blue box that stood next to the trash bin. "We couldn't stand the smell, so we put it there," I said as he walked over to the box. Christopher remover the lid; he brought his hand to his nose. "What is that thing, Chris?" Ryujin asked, "It's a pig's heart." He said, placing the lid back. He walks over to us, "Do you know anyone that could want to hurt you?" He asked, grabbing me by my shoulders. "No, no one comes to mind," I said with an unease tone. I stared into his brown eyes.

Christopher, let's go of my shoulders. A sigh left my lips. "Did you call anyone else?" He asked Ryujin, nodded her head. "Yeah, the other should be coming here soon." She said the glass doors of the apartment complex were swung open "Oh my god, Mitzi, Ryujin told us what happened. Are you okay?" Doyeon asked, rushing over to me, pulling me into a tight hug, I felt myself beginning to break slowly. I hug Doyeon. "I'm not okay." I whispered she pats my back, "It's okay not to be okay, this is probably the worst day of your life." She whispered I was sobbing quietly, afraid that the others, especially Christopher, would find me weak and fragile.

I pull away from the hugging, turning my back to them, I wipe my tears away. "Whoever did this probably has something against Mitzi. But the problem is who could it be?" Changbin asked. I turn to look at them; Doyeon was in deep thought. "Mitzi, have there been other strange gifts or things that have occurred before this?" Christopher implored me, "I have been receiving strange letters; I've found unknown notes on my car's windshield. Uh, I had received a peculiar call, but I never paid mind to those things because I didn't think it would be a big deal." I explained as I cross my arms, "Not be a big deal!? Mitzi, how long has this been going?" Yena interrogated. I let out a small huff. "Uh, almost a month, but the letters and notes have stopped, so I thought it was over," I said; they all had a worried look plastered on their faces.

"Why didn't you tell us, M?" Sanha asked me I uncrossed my arms "Because." I said Doyeon gazed at me with an unreadable look. "Because? Why Mitzi? Why didn't you say a thing to us?" Doyeon asked I avoid eye contact with them. "Because I didn't want to be a f*****g bother! There are you happy!" I burst, I look them at "You know what, let's drop this and continue as nothing happened. And don't even think about telling Seungmin a thing about this." I warned then before heading out of the apartment lobby.

I walk to the park close by the apartments; I sat down at one of the picnic tables. I rubbed my thumbs over my temples. Why is this happening? Who could be doing this? Why is everything falling apart? A sigh left my lips as I stare down at my shoes. I sensed that someone sat down in front of me. My gaze shifted from my boots and peered up Christopher had sat down. "Can we talk about what happened back there?" he asked me I let a huff out. "What's there to talk about? Nothing because everything I said was what I felt." I said, looking away from his gaze, "I know that you said those things because you're afraid, " he said I felt like crap. "Yes, I am afraid but not because of the gift, I am so scared that whoever this person is, is planning on hurting the ones I love," I said, "Look, I could get someone to investigate and make this fear go away," he said I shook my head "No if people start to investigate this person will know that we're after him and will be in hiding," I said I've seen many movies where a girl or babysitter is being stalked. As soon the police begin to investigate, it all goes cold case, Christopher don't involve yourself in this, you're going to get hurt.

"Okay, we won't investigate, but you're in danger," he said with a worrisome tone. I give him a faint smile, "I'll be fine." I said he didn't believe me "Mitzi." the way my name rolled off his tongue drove me crazy. I don't want anything to happen to him or the others. "Christopher-" he cuts me off. "Chris, just call me Chris," he said, "Chris, I don't know who it is. And I don't want the others to know." I said he gave me a look of curiosity, "Don't worry, we'll find out who it is." He said with a faint smile.

Chris sat there in deep thought. "I still don't think it's safe at the apartments," he said. I give him a small smile, "Don't worry, Eunwoo lives next door to me; if anything happens, I could just go to him." I said, getting up.

Our walk back to the apartments was filled with exchanges of words, "Do you have siblings?" I asked since I have already told him about my siblings. "I do, there's Sunny, my younger sister, and there's Luke, my younger brother." He said we got to the doors of the apartment complex. "What do you do? I mean, I heard you're the head of a company, but not sure what exactly is that you do?" I confessed he had a small smile on his lips.

"I own a company; my company is top-rated because we sell fragrances. One of the top-selling would be known as the 'Eclipse,' which was made for both males and females." He said, a smile formed on my lips. "Wow, the others have mentioned that you have a company but never mentioned that you're the owner of my family's favorite fragrance," I said with a smile, "Really? Your whole family uses Eclipse?" He asked disbelief. I nodded my head. "Yes, every Christmas and every birthday, we receive a brand bottle of the fragrance of the one and only 'Eclipse.' I hardly use it because I have a new favorite fragrance." I said. We step inside the building. I see the others seemed relieved to see me.

"And what fragrance is that?" He asked, I look at him with a shy smile, "The one you gave me." I said, "Mitzi, thank God you're okay." Doyeon said, making sure I didn't have any marks or bruises. "Doyeon, relax, she's fine," Chris said, "Good, so is there anything we could do to help." Yena asked, "For now, we're going to let Mitzi rest. She had a tough day, and on Monday, we'll talk it over. Let's hope there are no more bloody hearts coming." Chris said, "Chris is right. We should go." Felix said, "Take care, alright." Changbin said I nodded. As the others left, Chris and Ryujin were the only ones left. I give them both a small smile, "I'll see you guys later." I said, heading towards the elevator.

I stood in the elevator as the doors began to close. Chris had taken the blue box with him. Why did you get yourself involved?