Chapter 17. A Sudden Call

Ever since she met Aleysia, Medusa could sleep properly every day. Prior to that, she used to sleep only once a week, as she often didn't need to sleep at all.

But somehow, Aleysia had the ability to make Medusa feel sleepy and sleep like a normal human before Athena's curse had been placed upon her. Medusa used to be alone at night, awake, which made her feel even more lonely. However, these days the sound of birds singing and the bright sun in the sky woke her up every morning.

The change in Medusa's sleeping patterns was a profound one. No longer did she have to endure the endless nights, staring into the darkness and grappling with the weight of her curse. Aleysia's presence in her life had brought a sense of peace and normalcy that Medusa had long forgotten.

"Aleysia. Come here for a moment," Yolanda's voice broke Aleysia's smile, just as she had hung up the phone from calling the older woman she missed so much.

"Yes, aunt. Wait a minute," Aleysia said, carefully stepping out from the cashier's box.

Yolanda put up the "Closed" sign and helped Aleysia back inside the house, guiding her to sit on the sofa. Aleysia was quite confused by the sudden gesture, as Yolanda rarely closed the store unless there was an emergency—the last time she had done so was when Tyrone had gotten into an accident.

"Here," Yolanda said, taking Aleysia's hand and placing a phone in it.

"What's with the phone?" Aleysia asked, her confusion only deepening.

"Someone called from San Francisco. She said she's your father's business partner, and she wants to tell you something." Yolanda trailed off, pushing the phone towards Aleysia. Aleysia couldn't see the tears of happiness that were welling up in Yolanda's eyes.

"Are you crying, Aunt Yolanda?" Aleysia asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Ale, answer the phone," Yolanda said, her voice thick with emotion.

Aleysia nodded, her fingers tightening around the phone as she brought it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Aleysia, do you remember me? It's Zoey, your father's business partner." Zoey's voice rang in Aleysia's ear.

"Yes, I remember you. How are you doing?" Aleysia replied with excitement. She had grown up with Zoey being around her father and mother, until Zoey had disappeared because of what her stepmother had done to her.

"I'm sorry, I was missing for a long time. I heard you're living well with the Owens?" Zoey's voice was laced with guilt, and Aleysia could hear it breaking.

"Yes, I'm fine, I'm good," Aleysia reassured her.

"I don't know how to apologize to you, Aleysia, and I heard you were also blind? Brooklyn did that to you?" Zoey's voice was filled with resentment.

"It's okay; it's in the past," Aleysia said, smiling.

"Aleysia, I've got the company back. In the original will of your father's, you own 30% of the shares, and I can give it to you. I can run the company like before, and you can get your house back too. Isn't that amazing?" Zoey said, her voice thrilled.

"Huh?" Aleysia was taken aback.

"Yes! Aleysia, everything you've heard is true; it's the truth! How do you want to proceed with everything?" Zoey asked.

"What about Brooklyn and her boyfriend?" Aleysia inquired.

"I don't know; they just disappeared one night, and the deed to your parents' house was on my desk in the morning. The company is also back in your hands, our hands. Do you want your father's shares? He gave me an extra 20%," Zoey explained.

"No, no, wait. How did this happen?" Aleysia was still struggling to comprehend the things she was hearing. After seven years, suddenly the original will belonging to her father was coming to the surface, and everything was falling into place as it should have seven years ago.

Aleysia's mind was racing, trying to make sense of the sudden change in her circumstances. She gripped the phone tighter, her brow furrowed in concentration, as she listened intently to Zoey's explanations, hoping to piece together the events that had unfolded.

"Zoey asked me to go to San Francisco and said she'd give me two tickets to go there. She knows it's not easy for me to get around by myself after I went blind," Aleysia explained to Yolanda. "Zoey also told me she regrets disappearing and not fighting harder against Brooklyn. She said if only she hadn't left, I might be in a better situation today."

"But I wouldn't get to meet Ariadne today," Aleysia whispered, her voice laced with disappointment. Yolanda still heard it.

"Sorry, what was that?" Zoey asked.

"Oh, no, it's nothing," Aleysia replied quickly.

"So, are you going to accept my invitation? I can send you the flight tickets," Zoey asked again.

Aleysia paused, considering the offer. "Wait a minute, can you give me a day? I need to talk with my family first," she replied, glancing at Yolanda with a grateful smile.

Yolanda felt a swell of pride at being called family by Aleysia, and she gave her niece's hand an encouraging squeeze.

"Sure, sure. I'll call Yolanda again tomorrow? Same time?" Zoey asked.

"Yes, same time, that would be fine," Aleysia said, her mind racing with the possibilities that this unexpected turn of events had brought.

As Aleysia ended the call, Yolanda pulled her into a warm embrace, tears of joy streaming down her face. "Oh, Ale, this is wonderful news! Your father's company, your home, everything is coming back to you!"

Aleysia felt a sense of relief wash over her, but there was also a pang of uncertainty. "I'm not sure what to do, Aunt Yolanda. This all feels so sudden, and I... I don't know what to do. Is it real? Or not?"

Yolanda nodded, understanding the conflicting emotions Aleysia was experiencing. "Take your time, Ale. We'll figure this out together. Your happiness is what matters most to me. To us."

"Do you think you can come with me? Back to San Francisco?" Aleysia asked softly.

"Of course! I can close the store for a few days and let the boys open it on the weekend. Tyrone and Whitney didn't have any work to do on the weekends anyway," Yolanda said. "We can talk about it over dinner."

"Yes, that would be great. I don't want to be a bother," Aleysia said, her smile shy.

"Sweetheart, you were never a bother to us. I love you like my own! Don't think like that," Yolanda said, pulling Aleysia into a warm embrace. She felt a sense of joy for the young woman in her arms, knowing that Aleysia had experienced so many hardships and now the universe was finally on her side.

"It would be perfect if all your bullies suddenly got their karma and cried in front of you," Yolanda muttered.

"I wouldn't hope for that much, but that would be great, wouldn't it?" Aleysia chuckled.

"Definitely," Yolanda agreed.