What Are You, Alex?

As Isabella left the mansion a couple of minutes ago, she met Eugene on the way and thought she could be able to drive out a clue about Anne from him.

The two found themselves in a nearby restaurant. Isabella ordered a couple of dishes but Eugene was not wavered by her unusual and strange affection, knowing fully well she had an ulterior motive.

"Don't you want anything too? I am sorry if you think of eating with me because I don't like sharing with people," Isabella said and Eugene smirked at her disgusting words.

"As if I would like to."

He got fed up with the somewhat drama or cunning game alongside silence between them. He thought she should just go straight to the point of bringing him to this place instead of acting cunning when she's not.

"Do you have a sensible reason for bringing me here? If not, I am as good as gone."

She smiled, thinking he was just like he was said to be. "You haven't disappointed me. You are as mean as they said you are."

"When you have known that, don't you think you should hasten up the question you want to ask me before I rudely walk out?"

Isabella asked, not directed at her real question. "I never knew you have a girlfriend. Why have you been hiding her all this time?" But Eugene was not wavered as she expected him to be, as she thought his relationship was unreal.

"Me too, I never knew you are not Alex's real girlfriend until that day. Why have you been keeping it a secret?" He asked and she got inundated. He took advantage of her silence to further counter her. "I know your true intention is to ask about Anne because you are afraid she is going to completely take your fame. You want to get clue of where she is, where she lives, and who she moves with." He said and she was completely bewildered, that all her thoughts had just been spoken out by him.

His mood shifted to an angry bird's and glared icily straight into her eyes. "My answer is this — lay a hand on her and I will never be unforgiving. I promise to get to your root and expose all of you staying in the dark, because I already have a clue of your intentions. Don't you dare mess with Anne, drama queen. I think I have warned you enough."

He stood up and when he was about leaving, Isabella called him,

"How'd you know?"

He sneered at her because she was being foolish to have exposed herself when she could have countered his argument.

"I never said I knew, I only had a clue," he sneered again. "So that's actually your point of asking me to come? You have just exposed yourself, drama queen."

She couldn't withstand that heated situation, but she smiled.

"If anything happens to Anne any time from now, I will hold you responsible."

Isabella said to stop him again, "On whose tab is the bills on?"

"Yours of course. And why will I be the one paying your bills when I ain't your boyfriend?"

He went out of the restaurant, while Isabella glanced at him thinking she could decipher something from him. Eugene hopped inside the car, coldly that Isabella couldn't fathom anything before he left.

She was uncomfortable anymore, as if fire had been set under the chair she was in. She couldn't get straight to her thinking when Eugene spoiled all her plans she thought was getting through. Still, she must find out where Anne goes to alone so as to get her to the sinister man that held her father in captive.

No one could ever be completely perfect; she would get Eugene under control one day when she had known his weakness.

"Why is everybody trying to protect Anne all of a sudden?"

Annabelle was holding a basket of fruits gotten from the shop and she was asked by David, curiously.

"Do you believe what Mr Reynolds said was true?"

"About what?"

"That he has been dating my sister. I still don't get it because I am well awared of when they met — couple of months ago."

Annabelle shrugged, "Love is not affected by time — they must have gotten intimated within that short period of time."

"Besides, your sister's safety is assured when she is by Alex's side," she told him and he looked a bit reassured.

Upon looking up to the rev of a car, she saw Eugene drove past them in a mood more cold than he usually look like. It was clear he just ignored her after locking eyes and left, because he didn't seem in a good mood.

The time David saw that man was when he recalled that Annabelle was announced as his girlfriend too. It turned his head crazy! His sister appeared with a strange boyfriend and now, Annabelle too. What were these ladies scheming? Have they been keeping her in the dark all this while? What's happening with them?

"Anna, when did you start trying to keep things from me as well?"He asked her in a quickie.

"What are you talking about?"

"That man..."he stuck his finger at the direction that man's car revved across, "... are you really intimated with him? Is it true you're also dating? You have never kept things from me, and I felt betrayed that day I saw the news on internet about you being the first love of the man living in Red Mansion. What really is the truth?" But Anna sneered at him and walked away.

"Childish teenagers are always like that."

(In the Red Mansion)

"Good evening. Are you feeling better now?"

Alex entered the room where Anne was and asked her. Anne replied she felt alot better then, maybe because she had a comfortable sleep.

As Alex sat in the couch, facing her, silence occupied the room. Locking eyes and avoiding more made Anne uncomfortable with the silence atmosphere and she broke it with the story of her childhood.

"I don't know if you would be willing to hear about my childhood days. I am sorry you didn't have a wonderful one," her voice was cloned in empathy as she said that.

"Don't be sorry — in fact, I am eager to know more about you." Alex replied and Anne was delighted.

"My dad was self employed as a tech engineer and he made many technologies, although not advanced. He used to keep my little brother at his shop so he could have the basics of doing it but my dad restricted me from visiting the shop, saying I am a girl that should always be with my mother. Meanwhile, my kid brother had no interest in learning those stuffs because they were boring; but maybe because I was somewhat gifted the knowledge of tech, I was more drawn to learning it."

Alex smiled, a mix of excitement and regret. Fate had brought a murderer and the family of the victim together and their closeness deepened day by day, not aware of the danger that lied in the future.

Alex felt guilty, having known he shattered her lovely family in pieces and still stayed by her side. He was uncomfortable listening to the degree of happiness he destroyed and interrupted.

"Wait."

"Are you fed up with my story? I knew it is damn lengthy — it's normal you are fed up."

"That's not the case," he said. "I want you to make me a promise. When you find out who murdered your mother, do not seize in taking judgement. For a killer like him, a monster, a devil! — a being meant to be wiped off nature — stab him in the chest and hold on until he dies. That's the only place he could be killed. Make me that promise now."

Anne was flabbergasted by the way he spoke and thought something was wrong.

"Alex, what is the matter? You are -"

"You shouldn't be merciful towards the spoiler of your joy. You could have been happy, prosperous, have had the chance to sit with your family telling each other what you wish for and never be inferior; if only your mom was spared that day. " His corneas changed to red, a symbol of the boiling blood in him.

"So you must revenge!"

Amidst the tension, it was clear a lot of things were not right with him. The questions flashed through her brain, flowing massively as if like an ocean, not letting her grasp just one piece. Anne became extremely curious of his nature, why he was talking about her mother death out of the blue and his presence was like the symbolism of danger, chaos and threat to all.

Who really was he? How did he defeat that man who was clearly mysterious and saved her? And how fast could he have moved to have blocked him just on time? The worse part was Alex's eyes seemed to have changed colors when he fell unconscious and mysteriously, the wound on his left arm vanished when they met the previous day — how come?

"What really are you, Alex?"