Ch- 14 : MONEY; )...!

After arriving home and settling in, Amy's mind raced with thoughts of the previous day's events. She felt drained and disoriented, trying to process the shock of the incident and how close she had come to real danger. Wanting answers, she sought out her mother, Luna, for clarity.

"Mom," Amy said, her voice carrying a hint of urgency. "Do you know him?"

Luna looked up from what she was doing and gave Amy a gentle smile. "Him? Who do you mean?"

"The person who saved me," Amy clarified. "Do you know him? How does he know my name? I don't remember ever meeting him."

Luna nodded. "Oh, what about him?"

"Do you know him?" Amy asked again, her mind racing. "How does he know my name?"

Luna took a moment to think. "You never met him or never met recently?" she asked, trying to help Amy recall.

"Mom, don't pretend!" Amy interjected. "I'm talking about the man who saved me. You're talking as if someone I know helped me. It's not comforting to be helped by a stranger."

"Ah, you mean Allen?" Luna asked, her eyes lighting up with recognition.

Amy was startled by the familiarity in Luna's voice. "Allen? You know his name?"

Luna nodded, smiling at her daughter. "Yes, Allen. Why would he be a stranger to you?"

Amy's mind whirred as she struggled to grasp the connection. "How do you know him so well? What are you talking about?"

"Amy," Luna said gently, "Allen is your cousin."

The realization hit Amy like a tidal wave. She stumbled backward, unable to process the information all at once. "Allen... is my cousin?" she whispered, incredulous.

Luna nodded, understanding her daughter's shock. "Yes, dear. You've known him since you were children. He's family."

Amy took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Oh, my God. Mom, I... I don't know what to say."

"Why would I leave you with a stranger?" Luna said, reaching out to her daughter. "You're my daughter, and I'll always protect you. Maybe you're still in shock from yesterday's incident. Go take some rest, honey."

Amy's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts as she slowly made her way up to her room. She collapsed onto her bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing through the events of the past day and the stunning revelation about Allen.

After about an hour of drifting in and out of sleep, Amy was jolted awake by the sound of music. She groggily reached for her phone and saw her brother Alex was calling.

"Hey, Alex," she said, trying to shake off the fog of sleep.

Alex's voice boomed over the phone, full of worry and urgency. "Amy! Are you okay? Are you hurt? How did it happen? I told Mom not to let you go to work, but she did anyway. Now look what happened!"

"Alex, calm down," Amy said, trying to soothe her brother's panic. "I'm fine now. Allen saved me. Mom couldn't have known what would happen. It's not her fault. I should've been more careful."

"How could you not protect yourself?" Alex pressed. "You learned taekwondo! Why were you so scared? What if Allen hadn't been there?"

"I'm fine now," Amy repeated, trying to reassure him. "I'm just a little shaken up."

Alex's voice softened, his concern still evident. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Amy decided to tease him a bit to lighten the mood. "No, I'm not okay! Why did you change my ringtone to your music? It woke me up!"

Alex laughed, relieved that his sister was well enough to banter with him. "I changed it before my flight took off! Just a little prank to keep you on your toes."

"Oh, how could you do this?" Amy said with mock indignation. "You're the worst brother in the world!"

"Stop being dramatic," Alex chuckled. "That's the worst acting I've ever heard!"

Amy shot back, "Can't you give me some money for my ice cream after what you did?"

"All you want is ice cream!" Alex laughed. "Check your study drawer. I left some of my pocket money for you."

Amy's eyes widened with surprise. "What? You hide your money here? How did I not know?"

"Of course, I can't hide it in my room," Alex replied. "That's where *someone* would come every day searching for my pocket money!"

Amy laughed at his remark, feeling a sense of relief in their playful banter. "Okay, okay, bye, brother. Have a nice day."

"Okay, okay, don't hang up—" Alex tried to continue, but Amy cut the call with a grin on her face.

As Amy hung up, she realized how grateful she was for her family's support and care. Despite the chaos and surprises of the past day, she felt loved and protected by those closest to her.