27 Chapter 27: Photograph.

Lucas and Brenden excused themselves and left, for the night.

" How strange! " Hayden sighed as they left then, added, " But, don't mind them they're always like that."

Mel looked at the door where they left and sighed.

' How strange!!! '

....

Brenden and Lucas got to the resort and locked the door shut.

Brenden fired up his laptop and sat on the couch, Lucas joined him and sighed.

" You failed the mission didn't you? That's the reason you're still here, isn't it? " he looked the the guy who was busy typing on his laptop. Seeing that guy's smirk he could guess what had happened.

" We're so doomed!!! "

Just then the screen lit up, a girl sat on a throne and a huge guy, right behind behind her.

" Amory. " Brenden greeted, Lucas bowed lightly in respect and greeted " Empress."

She nodded once, in response. Then spoke in a low threatening voice to Brenden.

" You know what sin you have committed already, I assume. "

He smirked casually, " Well, I could think of a few possibilities. "

" Very well. Why didn't your character Brenden die today as planned? " she asked, unmoved by his stupid comment.

He now grew serious, it was the first time that he had failed to complete a tiny mission like this. He had spent a total of four years to make this look like an accident.

He sighed ," I had to save someone. She..." he couldn't say anymore.

' What does she even mean to me?' He shook his head lightly, he didn't know or didn't want to, it will do no good if he did.

" You will receive your punishment as the council's decision, it wouldn't change for any reason, " she said expression-less, turning towards the guy in her back she asked, " How many days, Reaper? "

" 4 months of training boss, detained to the underworld base. " Reaper replied instantly, as a monotone.

" You will be subjected to it as soon as you land in Seattle. I don't care about what reasons you provide your 'family' for your absence. "

....

Mel and the others had also arrived at the resort for the night.

They directly went to bed as they were a lot exhausted from the day they had.

As soon as the light went off Mel and Steph fell into a deep slumber, while Alex layed wide awake, on her bed.

She thought about her own life,

' Origin- What the hell did Brenden mean by that? '

She calculated at the possibilities and all ended with a dead end!

Totally frustrated with this stupid stuff she decided to take a stroll outside.

' At least let me stir out of this stupidity 'that' guy spread. '

....

Walking around the garden Alex sensed someone around her. To be frank, she was terrified but her expressions never betrayed her emotions, it remained calm and collected, as always.

She tried to hear for the foot steps but she could hear nothing. There was no sound but just the presence.

She gathered all the courage she had and spoke, " Who is there? " and gulped a mouth full of saliva.

" Don't be scared, It's just me. " Brenden answered from behind her.

" What's wrong with you? Any why are you so creepy? following people without a sound. Is something wrong with your head?" She asked all frustrated, scared and irritated all at once.

" Calm down, I just needed to clear my mind. " he said sitting on the grass and sighed. " You? "

Alex saw that he sat and settled down beside him. " Nothing much, I had to clear my mind too."

They sat quite, for sometime and then sighed together.

" What was the information that you gave me? " she broke the silence.

" Just some thing that you might need in future. Don't go on the details, for now. I'll provide them to you as you go on, in future. " he advised.

" Why are you doing this? It's not like your some saint, we both know that. Then, why? " she asked, she was a lot concerned about what he wanted in return. As nothing in this world's for free- everything has a price. ' What does he want, from me? '

" Would you believe me if I say that it's because I find you similiar? I don't pity you or any one for that matter, but it's just because I had nobody to help me, back then... So, it's just... never mind. " He shook his head, clearing up his messy thoughts and stood up and left, without a word.

' She doesn't need to be like me, that's the only reason. I don't want anybody to live totally oblivious of why they are even alive. She definitely deserves better. '

....

Alex frowned as she saw Brenden's back disappear. Never did she want anybody's help, or rather, nobody helped her. She was alien to the feeling care and support. All that she could ever tell someone, about her problems or sorrows, was just a brief or none at all.

The word 'confiding' in her life was foreign or near to non-existent.

All that she knew was Mel was her tiny diary. The only person who knew about her a little, if not more. She couldn't get herself to ignore Mel, as she did the world. Why- you may ask, maybe because Mel has no one to confide in either!

....

Alex entered the room at almost 3am in the morning, not a teensy bit sleepy. She stared at Mel who was fast asleep and grimaced.

" Only if I could tell you things, only if I could love myself as you tell me too, I wouldn't be this broken Mel. " she muttered.

She knew that her cousin cared for her but then, she cared for others too, she ruined herself to please others, her own, her mother...

All she ever asked was a bit of attention, some care that she always longs for....

She lay on her bed as her tears wet the pillow. Her tragic story! a life that she never would want for anybody else.

Disgraced, wronged, beaten, ignored, what not?

Along with a sister who earns all the care of her parents, without effort!

A total fool! That's who she was, a fool.

Who gives away her efforts, love, care, deeds too, all to her little sister, who treats her like trash. But who cares a long as she is happy, even if your life is down the drain?

....

Scarlet lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, not that she was an insomniac but that, she missed her life.

The care free, lively, happy little life, away from burdens, responsibilities, obligations, business, oh the list is long!

She missed those days when she could roam around as Scarlet instead of Brenden's fiancé, she missed those days when she had her own identity, friends of her own, 'him'...

She could still remember that fateful evening when she been invited to go to the park with him on a date, but she was taken to the shareholder meeting party, where she got engaged to an unknown mysterious guy.

What a joke!

That was the last time 'he' talked to her in that way, a way she wanted him to...

She didn't need a friend, she had numerous of them but she was glad that he chose to be her friend even after her betrayal, as per him. She couldn't blame him. What could she say? That I don't know whom I'm engaged to? or I really love you.

Both would be ridiculous.

She would remain a betrayer than explain the truth to him and see his disbelief in her, as long as he remains close to her and always a part of her life, be it anything for that matter.

....

Hayden stirred awake as he heard some clanking and shattering sounds.

" What's the sound? " he asked sleepily .

" Nothing, go to sleep, Lucas is just searching for a photograph. " Brenden said, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

" What photograph?" he asked ruffling his hair and yawning sleepily.

" His sister's " Brenden shrugged and continued, ignoring Hayden's confused expression.

" Sister, what sister? " he was utterly confused now. ' The Harrington family had only one son right, now, where did a sister come from? '

Just then Lucas came running and squealing with glee. " I found it! It was in my purse pocket. "

Brenden and Hayden gave him a ' You're useless ' kind of look and shook their head.

" Yo, pass me the picture let me have a look." Hayden asked kindly.

Lucas was startled then he frowned, " Why do you want my sister's picture?"

Hayden was puzzled, ' Why the hell would anyone want a picture? Maybe just to have a look! '

" Well, I didn't know that you had a sister, so I just wanted to look at it! " he explained to the over-protective brother of a dead sister.

" If you plan to have any thoughts about my sister I'll tell them to Stephanie!!! " the over-protective brother threatened before handing the picture.

Brenden shook his head, ' No wonder why Lucas and Alex are bros, both over-protective and overly cautious creatures!!! '

Hayden looked at the dark haired girl standing beside a tree, a garden behind her. A huge white horse stood beside her as she pet it. She looked nothing more than 17 years old. She wore her hiding gears, which were also white, matching her horse. They only thing that Hayden noticed was, how the 17 year old looked. She seemed a lot similar to someone he knew.

He looked up at Lucas and Brenden wide-eyed. " Why does she look so similiar to Melanie? "

" I don't know, just a huge coincidence. Can you trust that? But that's the truth. " Lucas said with a smile.

" My sister died when she was 18. No one knows how. But then, I was so shocked to see Mel resemble her, at least a little. "

" Then it was no coincidence that you spoke to Mel, got close to her, called her your sister. The stony Lucas and ice-block Brenden were close to her because of that! " Hayden shrugged answering his own questions.

" Well, maybe. " Brenden responded before Lucas could deny any thing.

' No one should know that Mel's related to him by any means, not even as a stranger whom he spoke to. It could bring her harm. His sole presence in her life would bring her harm!!! '