Luelle’s Novels.

💥BLACKMAILED!💢
FORCED TO💫
💍MARRY
✨A BIG SHOT❤️
©️Luelle’s Novels.
EPISODE 5

When Fang Tao said the word, ‘home,’ Ae Yong felt an odd feeling build up inside her. Home had always been in the Villa; she’d grown up there, lived there and spent both her worst and best days there, until 5 years ago, when she was forced to leave because —
“Ae Yong? Ae Yong?”
Her supposed brother in law called when he saw she was not paying attention to what he was saying.
“Ye…yes?”
“What’s wrong?” She could hear the sincere concern laced in his voice.
“Are you OK?”
“I’m fine. Just spaced out,” She replied.
“You sure you don’t—”
“What is going on here?”
A voice cut Fang Tao from saying what he had to say next.
They turned to know the source of the voice and Ae Yong was stunned.
“CEO Lai, how may I help you?” she asked

CEO Lai,
Not father,
Or any endearing term.
With that one statement, Ae Yong cut any ties that had together. She would never acknowledge their blood relationship and he wouldn’t.
She was just a worker in Starlight Co-operation, nothing more, nothing less.
In her eyes, he had lost all rights over her.
He couldn’t call himself her father,
She wouldn’t address herself as her father. Her arranged marriage had ended it all.
When Ae Lai heard her, an odd glint flashed in his eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. He opened his mouth to say something in response to her, but ignored her on a second thought.
He turned to Fang Tao, “Do you need help?”
“Uh, I didn’t realize I gave the feeling of an invalid?” He retorted with acorn edged in his voice that made Ae Yong wonder if they had an unsettled issue.
Ae Lai: “…” His face turned red in shame at Fang Tao’s reply.
When Fang Tao realized the awkward atmosphere he had created, he coughed slightly in an effort to lighten the tension, “Pardon, but I’m here for the bride.”
And that statement stunned Ae Lai, “You mean… you’re here to take her?”
“Exactly,” he nodded.
“As her…?”
He wanted Fang Tao to specify

💥BLACKMAILED!💢
FORCED TO💫
💍MARRY
✨A BIG SHOT❤️
©️Luelle’s Novels.
EPISODE 4B
{ The Stranger }
******
But she wasn’t worried about herself. She was more worried about the headlines the next day. The press were sure to escalate everything they had seen on the wedding day
Headlines like: ‘The bride who was abandoned at the reception.’ Or
‘ “I do”- Why the delay?’ were sure to appear on the news after the wedding.
She thought of what her mother would have done of she was alive to witness the occasion,
How she would have reacted,
If she would have allowed her to get married too like her father.
Looking around, she didn’t even see any of her mother’s relatives.
She didn’t know the story, but she was sure it was complicated because ever since she could remember, she had never seen anyone of her mother’s relatives visiting them.
No uncles, aunts, cousins, no one.
And now,
“May I know why this pretty lady is standing alone without a partner?”
An alluring voice snapped her out of her train of thoughts and forced her to turn in the direction of the voice.
And when she did, she was rewarded with a sight.
It was a young man standing on front of her with a sly smile as though he had caught his prey.
She mentally scanned him and estimated to be around her age but what she didn’t know was what he. was looking for that involved her.
“I beg your pardon, but is that question directed to me?”
Ae Yong asked with a confused gaze as she looked around but found no other lady he was talking to.
The man smile grew wider at her question. Somehow, he had expected that.
“Is there any other lady her befitting the title of a pretty lady here?”
Ae Yong flushed.
She had to admit that this stranger was good with words.
She was about opening her mouth to speak when he made a next move.
He took hold of her right hand, gave it a light kiss before dropping it gently, “I’m Lu— Fang Tao. May I know who this pretty lady is?” he flirted further.
Ae Yong was awed at his bravery

BLACKMAILED!💢
FORCED TO💫
💍MARRY
✨A BIG SHOT❤️
©️Luelle’s Novels.
EPISODE 4A
{ The Stranger }
******
“I do.”
Ae Yong said and watched the priest turn to the groom with a satisfied gaze.
He repeated the question.
“Do you, take Ae Yong, to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, in wealth and in poverty, till death do you apart?”
And everyone awaited his answer.
But something was wrong.
The answer did not come.
He stood motionless as though the question wasn’t directed at him.
This amused the guests.
Beads of perspiration began to appear on Ae Yong’s forehead as she stared at the stranger and silently motioned him to say something, anything.
Already, the guests were murmuring while some were casting curious glances at the groom’s hesitation.
‘Could it be that it was an arranged marriage?’

‘Or, what if he doesn’t love her again?’

‘Then, why didn’t he call off the wedding before now? Why choose to disgrace the girl?’

Seated at the front row, Ae Yong’s family thoughts weren’t any better.

Ae Chong: Hehe, how the heavens have favoured me! Not only is she getting married to a gigolo[1], he doesn’t even find her attractive!

Han Ruyi: ‘Daughter of Starlight Co-operation CEO, Ae Yong, getting rejected on her wedding day!’ It’ll surely make the headlines!


But Ae Yong silently wished the stranger standing in front of her who acted like he wasn’t involved in the whole procession would give her face and respond to the vows. If reverse was the case, she’d surely be the talk of the whole city!
She was sure her half sister was there, gloating in her impending disaster.
Just when Ae Yong was about to give up hope and the priest about to repeat the question, a low, yet hoarse, chilling voice was heard. It carried so great a power that it silenced the whole hall.
“I…”
It came from the front row, and that was when everyone realized where it was coming from; the groom!
His vows!
Everyone held their breaths in anticipation

💥BLACKMAILED!💢
FORCED TO💫
💍MARRY
✨A BIG SHOT❤️
©️Luelle’s Novels.
EPISODE 3
*******
“All set?”
Ae Yong took a deep and slowly nodded her head in answer to her father’s question.

Currently, they were behind the closed doors of the marriage hall, where everyone gathered, waiting for the bride so the marriage procession could begin.
Ae Yong didn’t look to good. She took unhurried breaths and subconsciously tightened the grip on her father as the doors flew open and they were welcomed by the interlude playing by the orchestra.
Ae Yong gasped inaudibly in shock as her eyes carefully surveyed the hall. It was beautifully decorated with chandeliers hung above the ceiling, flowers at every corner and the fully occupied seats with guests who all turned with curious gazes to see the long-awaited bride.
She hadn’t expected all those. No, that was the last thing she imagined her last-minute wedding would be.
It seemed like it wasn’t decided at the last minute at all!
And the hall?
The well dressed and elegant guests?
Of course, Ae Yong was raised in an aristocratic manner. The AE Family was one of the most important socialite in City X, Imperial. So she could recognise those who were from well-to-do homes. And not just well-to-do, they were much higher than her family!
Wasn’t her husband rumoured to be going bankrupt?
This didn’t look like a marriage with a poor background!
What was happening?
‘Maybe he was given a loan,’ she thought.
‘Or her father might have been the major sponsor of the wedding?’
But her latter thought didn’t make sense. Ae Lai was the last person to help her, he would only get involved when his name was at stake, so she had long grown to fixing her mess herself.

The hand slipping from her palm broke her train of thoughts and reminded her of where she was at the moment. She looked around and realized they’d already reached the front row, where the bride and the groom were to stand and where her soon-to-be husband waite

FORCED TO💫
💍MARRY
✨A BIG SHOT❤️
©️Luelle’s Novels.
EPISODE 2
★★★★★
{The Wedding}
..

AE YONG
“Is she ready?”
Ae Yong heard that voice, the voice she grew up loving, the voice she once adored, bit the voice which now became a nightmare to her and will force her to her early grave.
Just how ironic her life was!
The door was slightly opened and Ae Lai peeked his head inside as he gazed at what was going on in the room, the stylists who were already packing up until his gaze fell on the figure who sat motionless at the table and refused to acknowledge him.
She couldn’t acknowledge him. She wouldn’t. Not after what he did to her.
“Yes, Master Ae, it remains her veil,” the head-stylist said, raising the transparent but flowery veil for him to say thus, breaking the awkward silence which reigned since he stepped into the room.
As she raised her hand to place the veil on Ae Yong, the door was pushed open and Han Ruyi walked in with a smug air around her. She walked towards the stylist and gently took the veil from her hand.
“Allow me,” she said, with the sweetest smile Ae Yong had ever seen since she got married to her father.
Why wouldn’t she?
When she had successfully ruined her life, and had paved the way for her daughter to be the only heir to the AE Properties?
“It’s my job. As a mother,” she added.
‘Who cares?’ Ae Yong resisted the urge to sneer out at the act she was putting on. It was so fake that she was sure even the stylists could deduce something was wrong.
Ae Yong decided to keep mute and let the D-list actress do her job.

HAN RUYI
When she faced Ae Yong to put the veil on her, she stopped abruptly on her tracks.
Today she was stunned was an understatement of how she felt that moment seeing Ae Yong all donned up that moment.
It sent a chill running down her spine. It was almost as if she could see Zhuang Xi[1] again, and then, she had a flash memory of her and it terrified her.
FLASHBACK
Zhuang Xi stared at her friend with pain, hatred and hurt

💥BLACKMAILED!💢
ACCIDENTALLY 💫
💍MARRIED
A BIG SHOT💓
©Luelle’s Novels.

Episode 1
“I’m not getting married to him!”
Ae Yong yelled at the top of her voice at her father who had no remorse on because of his last minute decision.
Her father, Ae Lai, chuckled darkly, “You are, and that’s final! I am your father and I make decisions for you! And just so you know, I wasn’t asking for your opinion. I just thought it good to inform you,” he said nonchalantly.
“Father? You dare call yourself my father? Let me ask you, do you think you deserve that title?”
“Ae Yong!”
Han Ruyi, her stepmother, cautioned lousily as she walked down the stairs into the father-daughter scene.
Ae Yong stared at the woman who had made life miserable for her and a thought popped into her head.
“Who is this?” she stared condescendingly at Han Ruyi, stared at her as though she was talking to a nobody.
Of course, in Ae Yong’s eyes, Han Ruyi was a nobody.
“When the legitimate ones are talking, a stupid nobody dares to put her stinking, foully smelly mouth? What gives you the right? The illegitimate slt you have as a daughter? Hehe, I laugh in Korean, ” Ae Yong, continued, fueling Han Ruyi. It was obvious in Han Ruyi’s expression as her face turned green. She knew just the right spot to hit her, she knew everything about her, and Ae Yng was determined to frustrate her before she left Sapphire No. 5 Socialite’s Mansion.

I still don’t get how you stepped into this house —”
*Slap!*
*Slap!*
A loud, ear shattering slap was enough to cause the while mansion go on a one-minute silence.
Who was slapped?
Ae Yong wondered but not for long when she felt the sting on her face.
She hoped she was dreaming and sought to touch her face for confirmation and the moment her he and hit contact with her cheeks, she wished she hadn’t done that.
Her face stung severely and she could feel something metallic on her tongue. Blood.
Did he… just slap her?
“Y..yo..you slap..ped me?", she stammered, staring at her father with tears at the brink of falling from her eyes.
She was hurt.
Yes, she was.
Waking up to a shocking and life-changing news of being getting married to a complete stranger. Being the substitute for her half sister, Ae Chong was enough to throw her off balance. She desperately wished it to be a dream, or a joke. But deep down, she knew her father wouldn’t even want to spend time with her, stare eyeball to eyeball with her, then joke with her.
And then, her father had slapped her?
‘How worse could the day get?’ she wondered.
Was this how he hated her?
Ae Lai had a remorseful expression on his face but it only lasted a second.
Alright.
He had slapped her.
What was the big deal?
"...", As Lai opened his mouth but nothing came out.
Seeing this, Han Ruyi stepped forward and smirked.
“Yes, he slapped you and I will add to it if you don't quit this nonsense this instant!” She flared, pretending to be angry outwardly but trying hard to hide her happy expression.
Ae Lai looked at her in disgust and sneered inwardly.
Just who was this uncircumcised miniature mouse?
If it were not for the already fading respect she had for her father, she would have turned her to a vegetable leaf instantly. Beating her to a pulp with no restraint.
But no, she didn’t do that.
She didn’t turn Han Ruyi to a vegetable, neither did she retort.
She screamed
" Aaaah!!" She screamed like a maniac, not minding the disdainful and judging looks from the maids.
- It wasn't new to her. She was used to it.
The house today was a drama scene no one wanted to miss. And what made it enticing, it was free of charge. No commission.
The Socialites acted as noble, clam, and peaceful in front of the world, but only the workers knew what happens behind closed doors.
They were nothing like how they portrayed themselves to be.
Take Ae Yong for example,
Right in her father's house, she wasn't even honoured.
All because of Han Ruyi.
Well, she didn't mind them, they were not her problems this instant.
What was her problem was what her father was trying to coerce her into getting married, into untimely death.
She had to do something.
Ignoring her father and Han Ruyi she took a step, wanting to leave their presence. They repulsed her and she knew that standing with them and sharing banters would lead to her doing the unthinkable, so she sought to leave.
She had a lot to think about.
She had to do something, she couldn't allow them destroy her life with just a decision
“Where do you think you are going to, young lady?” Ae Lai questioned her with a half-hidden smirk on his face, interrupting her train of thoughts.
But she paid no attention to it.
“Where I'm going is none of your-”
She began, but paused on her words when she noticed something was wrong.
Something was wrong. She could feel it.
From her eyes blurring to her feet wobbling, she knew something was not right.
The same familiar feeling.
The same thing, the same thing which happened to her-
As if something clicked in her head , she remembered something.
"W..wh..at did you do?", she stammered staring at the duo who no longer cared to hide their smirk. She instantly understood.
Her father had drugged her.
"I told you, I am your father and I can do whatever I wish...", was all she heard before drifting into oblivion.
" Take her away,” As Lai ordered the workers before walking away. Not alone, but with his uncircumcised miniature mouse, trailing behind him.

SAPPHIRE’S NO. 5 SOCIALITE VILLA.
"Father, Mother, thank you so much for your help, I really feel indebted to you", Ae Chong said as she smiled sweetly to her parents.
" You're our daughter and we'll do anything for you. Understood?",Ae Lai comforted her.
"Yes, you're father is right. I will go to any extent for you and that includes you not being wedded to that imbecile" Han Ruyi added.
" What are we waiting for? Let's go prepare".
"Of course, let's see how she gets from the City's Phoenix to Country's Fowl", Han Ruyi teased as they all laughed.
" We'll go now, Alright Yao? Hehe".
"Yes mother, you can, I'll just prepare", She said with a nod and smiled at their retreating back.
Immediately they left, the room changed to a temperature of 0°.
A murderous aura was emitting inside the room. A closer look would reveal Ae Chong with a sinister look and an evil smile.
She was completely different from the sweet and all smiley Ae Chong earlier.
"He he, Ae Yong, you think you can shine forever? Not while I'm here. This is just the beginning".
She said to herself as she swirled the bottle of wine in her hand, giving a deadly, throaty chuckle.

It's very hard to imagine and see a father treating his first and legitimate daughter with contempt but what could she do while showering love to his other daughter.
She couldn't understand no matter how hard she tried.
*Sigh*
Ae Yong sat on a chair in front of the vanity table and watched melancholy as they dressed her up.
It would have been different if she had golden married according to her dreams; happily to the man she loved.
But, no. It was her being the substitute, the last minute bride.
She had slipped into an unconscious state for a few while as the effect of the drug As Lai gave her wore off gradually.
She was certain Ae Chong was behind it all, she was the only one who knew her weakness. Her past. Her red stain.
" It's all set!", The beauticians exclaimed in awe.
Ae Yong slowly opened her eyes at the beauticians comment and she was stunned.
She couldn't believe her eyes.
Even though the makeup was light. It was outstanding. It didn't fail to outline her delicate features.
She wore a white qipao dress that fited her perfectly as if it were made for her.
This..this was.. Ae Yong? Daughter of Ae Lai? Step-daughter to Han Ruyi? Half sister to Xue Yao? And by right, Pride of City X, The Great Phoenix.
But then she remembered something and her mood became sour.
It wasn't right. She wasn't meant to get married. All of this was against her wish. And what's more, she didn't know the groom
Was he blind as Ae Yong put it?
She didn't know. All of this made her want to cry. But she couldn't. She mustn't and she wouldn't.
Biting her lips, she controlled her tears and looked in the mirror one last time at her new look.
She was always strong, but this this broke everything she was holding onto.
''You're incredible Yongyong, you're a fighter Yong, you're my Phoenix and you are your own fighter. It is your own fight, not mine, so you have to fight it to the end, you can do it. If Momma' trusts you, then, you should trust yourself and I trust you, so?''
She'd always left it for Ae Yong to answer and As Yong, in her usual cheerful, childish voice would always say:
"Then, I can do it. I love you Mommy''
And she'd always reply with tears in her eyes:
" I love you baby. Don't forget you can do it. Even when I may not be there. Just know-"
"I can do it"
Just remembering her mother's word gave her comfort.
Her mother wasn't here now. It was just her to face it.
"Young Miss, you're crying, you're gonna' ruin the makeup"
She didn't even realize she was crying until they called her attention
She stared at her face in the mirror and it was true, she had been crying.
"I.I..I'm sorry", she managed to say and the beautician nodded in sympathy before cleaning the tears and re-doing the makeup.
Though her mother was gone, she left a legacy, that will never be forgotten, never..
Even though things where going against her wish, even though her mother was gone, even though her father had deserted her,
She's that Phoenix,that fighter who would rise and shine again.
Of this, she was certain.
…
LUELLE’S NOVELS💞
Again, welcome to Luelle’s Novels. Been a bit inactive, but I’m back😄

👀MURDER IN MASSACHUSETTS👀
💀{…Everyone Is A Killer…}💀
…
A bright day in Massachusetts suddenly becomes messy when two butchered up bodies are wheeled from the popular blogger and tourist; Jacinta Hunter’s Mansion. The investiation will take us back to the past, and unearth mysteries.
~.~.
CHAPTER THREE
~.~.
“Where am —Ah!”
Jacinta screamed as the rays of the sun penetrated into her eyes making her shut it back almost immediately
“I’m so sorry. I’ll just shut the blinds,” a tiny voice, almost to be mistaken as a squeak, was heard and that was when dJacinta realised she was not alone. She whipped her head towards the source of the voice and saw a petite brunette clad in a blue overall and an identity card over her neck. It read, ‘Lydia Clementine ’
‘That is one old-fashioned name,’ Jacinta remarked silently. Her gaze caught the ‘Position’ which read Theatre Nurse.
She furrowed her brows
She was in a hospital?
“How did I get here?”
She wondered.
“Oh! A lady brought you here! You had passed out,” the nurse replied as she was done shutting the blinds and now directed her attention to Jacinta.
Or maybe she had said that aloud.
Then, Jacinta recalled what made her pass out. Her mood dampened a bit.
“How long have I been here?”
The petite brunette glanced at her watch before answering Jacinta, “24 hours.”
Based on Jacinta’s assessment on her, she was in her early 30's.
“The name’s ‘Lydia’, right?”
She nodded with a warm smile as her hand travelled to the card hung around her neck, “Must have seen the Identity Card.”
“This is City Hospital, right?”
“Mm-hmm,”
Jacinta was relieved.
They were here,
Her family was here,
She was going to see them.
She passed Lydia a grateful smile, “Lydia, please, you work in the theatre? — Stupid me!”
She palmed her forehead gently at the absurdity of the question she had asked.
Very silly a question.
Wasn’t it indicated on her Identity Card?
Fortunately, Lydia didn’t look at it that way.
“No, no no! It’s fine! Go on. You know, I appreciate it when my patients are free with me, like you are! Please, continue, I don’t mind. And yes, I work in the theatre,” She maintained her professional yet friendly smile.
“Thank you so much. Do you by any chance, happen to have operated on two persons. Twenty-four hours ago?”
Jacinta held her breath in anticipation of Lydia’s reply.
She really hoped it was positive.
Heaven knew her life revolved entirely around those two.
“Oh! You mean those unidentified patients? A father and a daughter, I suppose?”
“Yeah! Yeah, yes!”
Jacinta’s eyes lit in delight at her answer and she heaved a sigh of relief.
She was relieved.
She couldn’t ask for anything more. She was relieved to know that her sources of happiness were there with her.
“You don’t happen to be related to them, do you? I mean, they’ve been here for over twenty-four hours, and no one could identify them. We were planning on handing their case over to the police —” Lydia responded with tact before she was interred by a grief stricken Jacinta. It was their part of their work ethics not to reveal confidential information to a stranger.
“No! Please, don’t do that. They’re my family! All I have, please …” she couldn’t complete her statement as her sobs choked her and tears streamed down her cheeks like a waterfall.
Jacinta thought of what to say that would have helped her in that situation. She wondered how the ‘old-fashioned named’ Nurse didn’t recognize her.
Like, Jacinta Hunter?
The famous blogger and tourist??
Who didn’t know her?
With tears still streaming down, she looked at the nurse with an unbelievable stare, “Wait. You mean, you don’t recognize me?”
The nurse furrowed her brows at her question.
Had they met before?
“I’m sorry but I don’t get you, am I supposed to know you from somewhere?” She asked and racked her brain, wondering where she had met the pathetic woman lying on the bed. She had seen a lot of people, met a lot of people, interacted with a lot of people, hanged out with a lot of people. So how was she going to know the group the pathetic woman belonged to? What could you expect, she was a nurse! Of course, her effort to remember her proved futile. It only meant one thing:
“I’m sorry, but … I don’t think I know you,” she announced.
Jacinta gave an awkward laugh at the nurses’ bluntness,“You mean, you don’t know me?”
Lydia laughed in obvious impatience,“I’d ask you again, madam: ‘I’m I supposed to know you?’”
Jacinta widened her eyes at the novice and decided to end it right there, “OK. Sorry for the suspense, but It’s Jacinta, Jacinta Hunter,”she said and allowed it to sink in her head.
And sink it did.
Lydia gasped when she realized who she was having a conversation with, “What you’re saying is that, you’re that popular influencer and tourist, Jay Jay Hunter?”
Jacinta nodded slowly and waited for her reaction.
“Don’t say! How is this possible? Wow! The world is really a small place!”
Jacinta chuckled at her reaction. She had somewhat expected it.
‘I mean, who wouldn’t react that way when seeing their popular and favourite influencer?’ She thought.
But Jay Jay Hunter the ever popular influencer, blogger and tourist, was fated to be disappointed.
Her face crumbled in disbelief at Lydia’s next statement.
“Oh, My! I’m so, so, so sorry for that. It’s just that my niece’s been blabbing all about you and I find it so frustrating that I just, you know, if you don’t mind, added you to my …” she trailed off, making a slash around her neck, that type of ‘killling gesture’.
Jacinta looked shocked, “Death list?”
She wanted to know if she was safe in the hands of ‘old-fashioned name Nurse Lydia Clementine’
Lydia bursted out laughing, enjoying her shocked reaction, “No way! You don’t think I kill my patients, do you?”
“…” ‘Popular Influencer and Tourist Jay Jay Hunter’ couldn’t say a word in reply for she had travelled to the shocked and speechless dimension with no intention of ever coming back as long as Nurse Lydia Clementine was the nurse in charge.
“Jay Jay? Madam Jay Jay?”
Lydia called.
“Jacinta!”
That seemed to work as she snapped back to reality.
“Huh?!”
She gasped in fright and frantically looked around, for whoever almost gave her an attack.
Her gaze moved from the drip which was connected to her hand, to the two-seater cushion which was obviously for visitors to the 42' TV hanged comfortably on the wall that made her question inwardly if the room was a VIP, down to a door that made her wonder what laid behind the closed doors and the ‘tick-tock’ of the golden analog clock down to a eerily, smiley-faced Lydia.
Jacinta arched her brows, staring at Lydia’s odd smile that sent her chills,“What’s the matter, nurse?”
Immediately Lydia realized Jacinta was ‘back to earth,’ she quickly masked her facial expression, removing the eerie smile to a neutral face that Jacinta wondered what went on in that nurse’s head.
She intrigued her, in a bad way. Jacinta could read people from just a glance. But the woman who stood right in front of her, and called herself ‘Lydia’ , didn’t seem to be someone she (Jacinta) would want to have a mutual friendship with.
“Mrs Jay Jay?”
Jacinta resisted the urge to roll her eyes at what Lydia called her,“O Please! Quit calling me that. I’m off social media now, so It’s Jacinta. It’ll go a long way for the both of us if you take note of that.”
“I’m really sorry about that,” Lydia apologized, earning a look of approval from Jacinta.
If she ignored the odd aura oozing from her(Lydia), and the weird smile she sent across her way, she was pretty a polite or would she say, professional nurse.
Silence prevailed when they both had nothing to say to each other. Until Lydia’s gaze caught the analog clock hung up on the wall, just above what made Jacinta think the room be a VIP ; the 42' TV and that was all she needed for her eyes to widen.
“Jeez! Time really flies with what I’ll not really call our little tête-a-tête ! If my memory isn’t jaded, we were discussing something very crucial. Are you sure you really want to see them?”
Jacinta scoffed as she cast the nurse an unbelievable expression.
Or what? Run away from it?
Be in a position where you badly want to see your loved ones and someone asks you this question.
“It’s either now or never, Lyd’ ” She answered with a determined gaze which made a small smile creep up to Lydia’s face.
Her heart ached when she found out she was going to see them in less than an hour.
O, how she longed for them!
Their comfort and the peace she found being among them was underrated.
“If there’s a reason i’m allowing this, 'would be for your determination. I love the vibe you create, Mrs. Jay,” Lydia confessed.
‘OK, what did she just say?’ was what went on in Jacinta’s mind.
Jacinta laughed awkwardly to ease the tension Lydia had created.
“Is this part I say… ‘thank you’?”
“Then you have it, thank you!” she added and they erupted in a fit of laughter with tension nowhere to be found in the air again.
“Come on, Jay, let’s go see the nurse in charge. Leonora, I think. She’s a bit feisty, but trust me, she’s dedicated to her work. You can be assured that they’re in safe hands,” Lydia said as she walked to the bedside, where Jacinta laid and prepared to remove the IV Fluid.
“I just want to see them,” she held a sob which threatened to break her walls.
Lydia passed her a comforting and loving gaze and gave her a small pat on her back.
“I know. You will. Even I want to see how the man is doing,”
There she went again with her eerie smile and unfounded statements.
‘What man?’
Jacinta was tempted to ask, but she withheld it. It was wisdom not to let the enemy know you knew his plans. True wisdom…

👀 MURDER IN MASSACHUSETTS 👻
~.~.
CHAPTER FIVE
****
“She’s showing positive signs of recovery,”
A voice was heard.
“What?”
“Yes. Her pulse rate changed, yesterday, when I cleaned her up,” the same voice continued.
There was brief silence in which only the breathing of people could be heard.
Finally, someone spoke. It was a thick voice, which carried masculinity.
“What about him?”
“The father?”
A sigh was heard.
“No changes. He’d be declared comatose soon,” the voice answered.
It resembled the same squeak like voice, the one which belonged to Nurse Lydia.
“Thanks for the information. Can we… see the girl?”
This time, it was a female that spoke. Not the one who resembled Nurse Lydia.
It seemed to be only three people who were present.
“The girl?”
She asked, like she didn’t know who they were referring to. She seemed to be in deep contemplation. “Yes, you can. But under close inspection. I wouldn’t appreciate harassment of my comatose patient,” she replied them.
A deep, dark chuckle was heard.
“We’re detectives. You seem to be telling the right thing to the wrong person. We know our work ethics,”
It was the man, the one with the masculine voice.
“I don't care who you are or what you do or what you know. Just, no harassment of my patient!” the female spoke in a firm voice which carried slight anger in it.
“Roger.”
“Better. Shall we?”
****
“She looks just fine to me, though,”
“No offense, but you sound like an illiterate. How would you determine a person’s health status by just staring?”
*Cough*
“Please, we —”
She cut them shut, “No. I mean it. What other thing do you mean? That I'm lying? Do you think a month in the hospital means a day? Alright, take a look at the —”
“Listen to us, first!”
“No, you listen to me. Here, the doctor’s —”
“Madam Lydia, the —”
“It’s ‘Miss’. Miss Lydia, not ‘Madam,” she corrected firmly.
“Do well to remember that,” she added, ignoring the awkward look from the detectives.
“We sure will, ‘Miss Lydia,” the last time we checked, we’re not in a battlefield, so why making it seem that —”
“Did I ever say we are in a battlefield?”
She questioned, once again, interrupting them.
“OK, maybe I’m being diagnosed with dementia that I suddenly can’t recall!”
The detectives felt like grabbing her right there and then and beating her to a pulp but they refrained themselves from doing so.
They needs to abide by the laws of the land if they wanted to get through with the case.
“We’re sorry, Madam —”
It unknowingly slipped from the tongue of the man and that was all it took for Nurse Lydia Clementine to fly into a rage.
“I said, ‘Miss’!” She yelled at the male detective, her lips pursed in annoyance.
“ ‘Miss,’ got that,” he muttered with head lowered.
“We sincerely apologize if we’ve earned your disapproval in any sort, but could you please, not make our work difficult for us? If not, we —”
“If not, what? Let me know what will happen if—”
“You’re actually leading us to the conclusion that you’re a suspect, and you know what that means for you and I ,” he replied.
Lydia resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but decided to express her anger in a deep chuckle, “Go on. Suspect me all you want, but tell you what,” she paused, narrowing her eyes at them. “I’ll say nothing, because I know nothing.”
“That’s good to hear. And that is why we need your full cooperation, only then can we get to the end of this case,”
Lydia sighed, her wall of annoyance breaking by the detective’s statement, “To be candid, the only reason I’m doing this, ifps for the protection of my patient. With all due respect guys, I don’t really…”
She trailed off, unsure of proper word to use.
“Trust us? You don’t trust us?”
Lydia laughed and nervously itched her knuckles, “I won’t actually say that. But for loss of the right words to use, then that is suitable. I don’t trust you guys. I mean, I trust you, madam, sorry —”
“The name’s Kendall, but it’s okay,”
“Thanks. Well, I trust you, Dally. But I won’t say the same about your colleague, once again, no offense,”
“We understand your concerns, but we want you to know that we won’t hurt her. We just need observation. You could stay if you want,” Kendall continued.
Silence engulfed the ward with Lydia in deep thinking and the detectives having expectant look on their faces.
“Fine. You can check her. I’ll leave you guys to do your job, but don’t attempt anything silly,” she said after thinking and smiled at the detective’s happy expression.

…
👀MURDER IN MASSACHUSETTS 👻
Author_Chella09💋