Chapter Seven

After Alan takes Nikki away from the hall, Laurel erases the memory of everyone and then wakes them up. The party continues with no one realizing what had happened.

Alan leaves the venue with Nikki and heads for a place with Nikki. The place was a white bungalow enclosed around a white fence and a big black gate. The gate opens and the car drives in and stops in front of the bungalow.

The backseat door opens, and Alan comes out of the car, holding Nikki in his arms. He walks towards the front door of the house and opens the door by pressing the passcode. He walks into the house as the door closes behind him.

This house consisted of only three rooms which were the bathroom, kitchen, and an exceptionally large room. The large room contained a lot of beautiful graffities on the walls. The walls were carved into vertically positioned rectangles. Each rectangle having a different kind of artwork on them. The artworks were done by Alan and his father when he was younger, a year before his father went missing. After what happened to his father, he had always been coming here occasionally so he could fill up the remaining spaces. It was a way for him to connect with his father. 

An hour later, Nikki wakes up to find herself on a bed in an unfamiliar room. She looks around sees her black handbag on the dressing table adjacent to the wall. She gets up and walks towards the dressing table. She grabs her bag and brings out her phone. She presses the power button, and the screen comes up. The time was 17: oo.

"Oh my... how did time fly so fast? Mother is going to kill me", she lamented as she looks around for her shoes, but she could only find a pair of black slippers. She hastily puts them on and rushes out of the room. She hopes to get out of where she was without being noticed but then she walks into a large room.

The room was so big that it could be used as an art gallery. In fact, it resembled an art gallery with the paintings, writings, and drawings on the wall. She walks down the room while being amazed at each artwork she sees. She gets to the middle of the room and sees someone in black overalls wearing a gas mask and holding a spray can in one hand. She walks towards the person and looks at what the individual was doing. She sees a drawing of her in front of the individual.

"Why is my face here?" she pondered as she began to wonder who the person in front of her might be. She taps the individual and the person turns back to face her.

"Who are you and why are you drawing me?" she asked as the person dropped the spray can and then removed the gas mask.

"Hello, Nikki, I see you're finally awake", Alan smiled at her.

"Alan?" she called dumbfounded at the sight of him. "What are you doing here? Why am I here?"

"You ask too many questions Nikki. Are you hungry?"

"What is going on here? Where is Amber? What happened to the party?"

"You are fine with pasta, right?"

"Yes I am... wait how does that have anything to do with what I'm asking you".

"Let us eat first and then we can talk okay", Alan smiled.

"Fine", she reluctantly agreed.

"Let's go", he said as they walk towards the door.

Thirty minutes after cooking and eating, Alan and Nikki are seated on the floor staring at the drawing Alan had just finished.

"Wow I had no idea that the weak good for nothing looking boy was actually full of talents", Nikki commented.

"That was more of an insult than a compliment", he remarked.

"Honestly, I am shocked. You are good at cooking; you are smart and talented. Future Mrs Alan Mendes is going to be so lucky", Nikki smiled.

"Yeah, she has no idea".

"Anyways you still haven't told me about what happened that made us leave the party early".

"You had a fight with Laurel and after that you stormed out. I went after you, and I saw you unconscious on the ground outside so I brought you here so we could get away from that madness. I hope you are feeling better now", he said as she smiles at him.

"Thanks a lot Alan for helping me out".

"I had no choice. My conscience would not have allowed me to leave you there".

"Is it so hard for you to admit that you are actually a good person?" she asked.

"I know I'm a good person".

"You don't show it".

"Just like the way you don't show that you can actually be happy", he remarked.

"What do you mean by that?" she questioned.

"Forget about it. I am glad things went well today", he sighed.

"Before I forget, what is this place?" she asked.

"My dad had it built for me when I was born. He said it was our way of connecting since he was not going to be in my life for too long".

"I'm sorry for asking but is he dead?"

"No, not at all. He went missing when I was four".

"He went missing. How did that happen?" she asked with a worried look.

"I have no idea. One morning he was with us and the next he was not. He just bailed on me and mostly on my mom. She still has not recovered from his disappearance. She keeps waiting for him every day".

"She must truly love him".

"Yes, she does".

"I wish I had the same love your father and your mother shared", she expressed.

"You're too young to love someone like that", he said.

"Yes, I'm also too young to get married but that's happening in a few months anyway".

"You're getting married?" he probed.

"Yes, I am", she replied.

"Why?" he inquired.

"I have a responsibility to carry out", she said as she gave a fake smile.

"That does not explain why you have to get married".

"Let us just say that as the first child of my family, I must live up to my family name. Getting married to the son of an honourable family is the main purpose of my existence. If I do not do that I simply cease to exist".

"Why would your family do that to you?"

"We can choose our family, can we? We just must be grateful for what we got".

"Who are you getting married to?" he probed.

"Why do you seem to care so much about me getting married? Do not tell me you're starting to have feelings for me".

"I am not in the mood for jokes Nikki. I want a name now", he demanded.

"His name is Charles Randall", she responded.

"The second son of the Randall family? I thought I saw him with your sister today. Isn't he your sister's partner?"

"Umm the thing is…. my sister actually... umm… how do I put this? My sister is in love with him, and he loves her back", Nikki replied.

"You're getting married to someone you don't love?"

"It is an arranged marriage, Alan. We are both being forced against our will. I am only glad that he does not despise me".

"You act like you can take on the world on your own but deep down you are fragile. You are just a fragile little girl that needs to be love, protected and pampered".

"I'm not fragile".

"You do not need to put on a tough act with me. I want you to be just you when you are with me. If you want to cry, you can cry. If you want to yell and scream, go ahead and do it. Whatever you want to do just do it. I will not judge you. I will always be here for you Nikki", he expressed as tears run down her cheeks.

"What is in it for you? Why do you care suddenly?" she sniffed as she wipes off the tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Do I need a reason to care?"

"I want to know why".

"I want to because you deserve it. You deserve to be loved. Everyone deserves at least that much. You do not deserve throwing away your happiness just to live up to your family's standards. You deserve to be happy and be with someone who loves you. You deserve that much Nikki so do not ever settle for less".

"You are just all talk. You have no idea what it is to have a huge responsibility on you. I cannot get away from it. Running away does not only mean putting my parents in shame, but it also means putting them in danger".

"What sort of danger could they possibly be in?"

"I know you mean well but don't get involved in matters that you can't possibly understand", she advised hoping to end the matter there.

"Fine I won't pry any longer put permit me to ask one more question", he said.

"Sure, but I can't guarantee you an answer", she responded.

"Who is Lucian?" he asked.

"How do you know that name?"

"You kept on mentioning it on our way here. You sounded like you miss him a lot", he mused.

"He was a close friend when I was younger".

"What happened?"

"I'd like not to talk about it".

"I won't ask anymore".

"Thanks".

"Are you ready to leave now?"

"I have been meaning to ask. What is the meaning of that symbol? I have seen it on all the drawings here", she inquired pointing at a symbol that consisted of an X, the four directions signs and the heart shape. The heart was divided by the four directions and the x was at the bottom of the heart. The symbol was on every single drawing in the room.

"It means a broken heart will always find it ways back to love no matter what path it takes", he replied with a warm smile.

"Did you come up with that? It sounds so cheesy", she chuckled.

"No, my dad came up with it. He told it to me every day before he disappeared".

"I'm so sorry".

"It is fine. I too thought it was cheesy but lately I realised what he was trying to pass on to me".

"Today's been an amazing day thanks to you Alan Mendes".

"You've been an amazing company Nikki Sawyer", he smiled as she chuckles.

"Let's get going", she said as she gets up and offers him a hand. He takes it and she helps him get up. After that they both head for the door.

Two hours later

At Sawyer Mansion

Nikki reaches home and heads straight to Amber's room to explain things to Amber. On getting to Amber's room, she could not find Amber. She then heads to her own room hoping to find Amber, but she didn't. She searches around the house looking for Amber, but she doesn't find her. On her way down the stairs, she mistakenly bumps into a maid carrying white sheets. The sheets fall on the stairs while Nikki stops the maid from falling by grabbing her hand.

The maid immediately removes her hand from Nikki's and falls to her knees. "My lady please have mercy on me", she pleaded with her head down to the ground.

"You can get up Rose. I want to know where Amber is", Nikki demanded.

"She was summoned by the queen to the forbidden room", the maid responded.

"Why was she summoned?"

"I have no idea my lady. All I know is that the queen asked princess Alisson to give report from the birthday party and after that Lady Amber was summoned", the maid replied.

"What did that brat tell mother now?" Nikki muttered under her breath.

"Your highness I think Lady Amber might be in big trouble".

"Why do you think so?"

"The queen asked for her tools", the maid replied.

"I will have to go now. Thank you for the information, Rose", Nikki said as she runs down the stairs leaving Rose to pick up the sheets and continue to where she was headed.