Chapter 3. Take Care

A sudden ring of the doorbell echoed through Sarah's condo. She made her way to the entrance, wondering who could be visiting so soon. As she opened the door, a warm smile spread across her face. Standing before her were Matthias and his lovely wife, their presence bringing a sense of joy to the air, completing their siblings night and special dinner.

Sarah's heart raced with excitement as she spotted her sister-in-law approaching. Unable to contain her joy, she sprinted towards her, arms outstretched, ready to envelop her in a warm embrace. With a beaming smile, Sarah exclaimed, "Oh, I'm so glad you could come!"

She's always fond of Beth, one of the women on earth whom she can trust and who will not try to manipulate her for her own benefit.

"Ah, tonight is the important dinner for you guys, and you invite me; of course, I need to come," Matthias's beloved wife said, smiling while handing over a bouquet filled with bottles of wine.

"Awww, why must you be my brother's wife if I can treat you better than he does?" Sarah made a pouty expression and clung to Beth.

"Oi!" Matthias's wife was hugging Sister Sarah, but he pulled her away and warned her sister, "Don't start, Sarah."

"Jesus Christ, what a jealous man!" Rayvenne grabbed the bouquet of wine from Beth's hand as they all shared a hearty laugh, and Sarah led them into her home's dining area.

Everyone complimented Rayvenne's cuisine; she's always been the best cook since they were kids, and Matthias and Sarah adored her. That night, they were discussing the planning for Sarah's wedding with Norman Duval, the son of a French millionaire.

He is the only man who is suited for Sarah Isabelle Kaufman, and even if it means satisfying her parents' egos, she will do it in a way that she finds acceptable. The Duvals wouldn't let him continue his lifestyle or have a secret boyfriend, so Norman doesn't have a choice but to agree to marry someone.

They had met before and instantly clicked with each other, agreeing to be married to each other for the sake of their freedom and happiness. Even if it means having to lie to everyone, it's better than having to face their angry parents.

Due to Duval Entreprise's close ties to the French government, its extraordinary success in the United States, and the significance of the wedding to the Kaufman family, she is acutely aware of how fortunate she was to have grown up in an environment that met all the requirements for an ideal bride.

Duval Enterprise's support will give them more authority within their industry, according to Kaufman's. Duval believes that with Kaufman's wealth and influence, they can take over even more markets in France and the US.

The topic of discussion shifted back to Rayvenne, specifically the question of whether or not she would wed the strange lady who had been stalking her for the sake of her parents.

"Eh, if they force me to marry her, I'll get them to agree to let me open my own restaurant and bakery; otherwise, I'll find someone else. I'm not going to marry a stalker." Rayvenne sat at the elegant dining table, a glass of rich red wine in hand.

The deep crimson liquid swirled gently as he took a sip, savoring the exquisite flavor that danced on his palate. The wine's velvety texture and subtle notes of berries and oak complemented the dish before him, a beautifully marinated Florentine steak.

Everyone loved the steak, lovingly prepared with a balsamic and rosemary marinade, which exuded a tantalizing aroma that filled the air. The tender meat, cooked to perfection, boasted a mouthwatering sear on the outside while remaining juicy and succulent on the inside. "I'm so tipsy from all this wine and negroni that I think I'll take a cab home."

"Let me take you downstairs; I need to get aspirin from the pharmacy downstairs; we're out of aspirin; I'll get you one as well, Ray." When Beth made the offer to assist Rayvenne in getting into a taxi, both Beth's husband and Sarah were already in the same state as Rayvenne, which is to say that they were both intoxicated at the time. The Kaufman siblings are heavy drinkers. "Oh my Lord, I'll get the two of you later, okay?"

"Okay, sis." Sarah, with a gentle smile on her face, couldn't help but let her gaze wander.

"Yes, baby, we agree." Matthias just said whatever he wanted.

Beth, known for her level-headedness, made an alert decision to refrain from indulging in her usual amount of drinks before meeting up with the Kaufman siblings for dinner or a night out. Deep down, she understood that she couldn't escape what was bound to happen.

Those three may come off as cocky and cold, but she has never encountered a more caring group of people than Matthias, Rayvenne, and Sarah. "Come Ray."

"Okay." As they walked side by side, she gently draped her arm around Beth's shoulder, falling into step behind her.

Since the drugstore was located just next to the building, she could easily run in there to get something to eat or drink while the concierge called a cab for Rayvenne.

While she was gone, she made Rayvenne sit on the lobby sofa and told her to "stay, don't do anything, speak to no one, and answer to no one except me, okay? Rayvenne Kaufman!"

"Yes, sister Beth, I approved." Her words are slurred.

"Wait for me for your aspirin; I've already requested a taxi from the concierge." Beth shakes her head.

"OK, so that's why Matt is madly in love with you. You're a blessing to us." Rayvenne says it quietly and grins.

"I love your brother as well," Beth says while smiling.

"Excellent." Rayvenne approved.

Rayvenne is currently sitting there with her eyes closed while a few different women attempt to talk to him. After waiting for ten minutes, Beth finally returned with aspirin in her pocket. She removes Rayvenne from them in a courteous manner, as the concierge has already informed her that the taxi for Rayvenne is waiting in the lobby of the hotel.

Beth put Rayvenne on the sofa in the high-rise condo's lobby while waiting for her to go to the pharmacy in the next building to buy aspirin. She is completely unaware that someone is observing them from a distance.

Rayvenne despises it whenever a driver from Kaufman's comes to pick her up because they always drive her to the residence of her parents and then irritate her the following day.

Therefore, she prefers to call a taxi or an Uber driver anytime she is too drunk to drive safely, asking, "Your taxi, will you be okay?"

"Okay, just too much Negroni doesn't matter." Rayvenne chuckles as she takes Beth's medicine bottle, hugs her, and gives her a courteous cheek kiss.

"Okay." Just as Rayvenne is about to get into the cab, a woman yells at Beth.

"She's my fiance; how dare you touch her?" Rayvenne hears a scream and sees Beth being pulled forcibly; the shock pulls her into full awareness, and she knows that the person who is pulling Beth is Juliette Bauer, the mad daughter whom she is not willing to marry.

She grabs Beth by the hair, yells in her face, and shoves her out onto the busy New York street. As Rayvenne glanced ahead, their hearts skipped a beat. The traffic light had shifted to a vibrant shade of green, signaling the start of traffic.

However, what caught their attention was not the change in color but the sight of a massive truck speeding towards them from the opposite direction. It seemed to be gaining speed rapidly, inching closer to the point of collision with Beth, who stood frozen in its path.

"Fuck!" She runs, snatches Juliette, and pushes her away from Beth as soon as she can, then drags Beth closer to him before flinging her back into the street and saying, "Please take care of my brother and sister." She laughs, knowing she won't have time to avoid it, and just accepts her religion; after all, it's better than marrying a madman.

"RAYVENNEEEEEE!!!!" As the truck crashed towards her, the sound of screeching tires filled the air. In that split second before impact, her senses heightened, and amidst the chaos, she could still hear Beth's voice piercing through the fear, desperately screaming her name. As she stood there, everything around her began to crumble and fall apart.

The once familiar surroundings shattered into fragments, leaving her in a state of disarray. The darkness swiftly crept in, wrapping its tendrils around her and consuming her entirely.