Chapter 7: Protecting someone important

"Who is this boy in the pic beside you?" Her father asked as he showed Beatrice the pic of Crisanto and her at the riverbank making Beatrice eyes widened in shock. 'Where did he get this photo?!?!' Beatrice thought in shock but her face remained neutral.

"He's just my friend in school dad." Beatrice answered but all of a sudden, she felt a stinging sensation at her cheek, making her realized that her father slapped her.

"What did I tell you about getting close to anyone?" Her father said sternly making her grit her teeth. "Getting close to anyone can only make you distracted from your studies and make your academic grades at stake!" He raised his voice at her.

"Can't I just be… just be me for once?!?!" Beatrice retorted making her father slap her again, but this time, it was harsher than the first slap, causing her to fall on the floor. Mr. Finley realized what he just did to his own daughter, he was about to help Beatrice and apologize but Beatrice stood up for herself and glared at her father.

"Why are you like this dad?! What happened to the old dad I know?! This isn't mom want this family to become!" Beatrice fought back to her father.

"Your mother is gone Beatrice! She's been in a coma for years! She's dead! I'm tired of waiting for her to wake up, because there's only a 30% chance of her for waking up! Since the doctor said that she is brain dead!" Her father yelled at her.

"So? What if she is?! Her heart is still beating dad! Can't you see?! We've went this far! We can't give up right now! FOR ALL I KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN SEEING ANOTHER WOMAN THAT'S WHY YOU WANTED TO GIVE UP RIGHT?! YOU'VE BEEN TRAVELLING ALL THE TIME AND DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A TIME FOR YOUR OWN DAUGHTER! AND YOU EXPECT ME TO GIVE UP ON MOM?! You can give up on her if you want to, but me *Beatrice pointed at herself* I'm not going to give up on her even if it will cause my own life." Beatrice finished as she storm out of the house to cool off.

Beatrice father stared sadly at the closed door that her daughter just closed after she stormed out from the house. "If only you knew…" He sighed and sat down on the couch in sadness. "Why did I even say that to her? Oh Cordelia… what have I done?" He rubbed his face in distress.

Meanwhile, Beatrice walk normally like nothing happened between her and her father, but you can totally feel the dangerous aura that is surrounding her if you're an expert of assassinating.

Beatrice keep her head hang low causing her to bump into someone accidentally. "Watch where your going!" a voice that sounds like from a male exclaimed.

Beatrice look at who did she accidentally bumped. There stood in front of her, a handsome blonde-haired boy that had a scowl expression plastered on his face.

"Oh… I'm sorry that I accidentally bumped onto you sir." Beatrice apologies and bowed for an apology. After she apologized, she excuses herself and was about to walk away, but the blonde-haired boy grabbed her forearm.

"Wait!" The blonde-haired boy exclaimed causing Beatrice to turn around and showed the boy a forced smile that is plastered on her face, which the boy didn't managed to notice.

"What's your name?" The blonde-haired boy asked with a smirk on his face, Beatrice grab the boy's arm that is holding her other forearm and made it let go of her.

"Now, wouldn't that unfair and rude for such a gentleman as you by asking a lady without telling your name first isn't it?" Beatrice stated with her forced smile still present at her face, the boy's smirk immediately changed back to scowl.

"Fine then. The name's Eric, Eric Desmond. And you are?" He said, Beatrice unknowingly smirked, but once again, the blonde-haired boy also known as Eric didn't noticed it.

'This guy is just too easy to manipulate, might as well just play along with his game.' Beatrice thought, as she did a close-eyed smile and clasped her palms together.

"What a wonderful name you have there Eric! My name is Venissa, Venissa Catherine! Nice to meet you Eric!" Beatrice introduced with a fake name, not before complimenting Eric first.

Eric got flustered at the compliment that Beatrice said to him by his name, it's the first time that someone compliment him, but it somehow felt nice to him, he felt something warm growing inside his heart.

'This girl is making me go crazy already!' Eric shouted in his mind as he grabbed Beatrice and dragged her towards the nearby alley way.

These action however didn't go unnoticed by Crisanto, who coincidentally just passing through and accidentally heard Beatrice and Eric's conversation.

When Eric drag Beatrice towards the nearby alley, he couldn't help but be jealous towards Eric for some unknown reason, so he decided to follow the two of them and hid behind the wall to hear the two's conversation.

Eric let go of Beatrice and he look at her awkwardly, Beatrice blinked as Eric awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Um… sorry about my attitude just a minute ago Venissa, I'm truly sorry." He spoke.

'Eh? EHH?!?!' Beatrice was totally dumbfounded. 'What the hell just happened?!' She yelled in her head. Beatrice nervously smiled and waved her hands in front of her. "I-it's totally fine Eric… ehehehehe…." She stated awkwardly.

"Oh, that's a relief." Eric sighed in relief. "By the way…" He continued as he grab both of Beatrice hand making Beatrice uncomfortable since she's really not used to physical touch except when the person asked her permission, but then again, Beatrice rarely allowed someone to do so.

Crisanto noticed how uncomfortable Beatrice had become, so he decided to interfere.

"Venissa, will you g-" Before Eric could finished his sentence, Crisanto stepped in. "Stop right there!" Crisanto exclaimed.

'C-crisanto?! Since when did he arrived?!' Beatrice exclaimed in her head again.

Eric turned around in annoyance. "What do you want?" He scowled at Crisanto. Crisanto's eyes twitched in anger.

"Let go of her! Can't you see she's uncomfortable?!" Crisanto exclaimed in anger, Eric smirked as he could clearly tell why Crisanto was protective of the girl.

"And what if I won't?" Eric stated causing Crisanto to snap and punched Eric, making Eric let go of Beatrice as Crisanto shielded Beatrice from him.

The two boys didn't notice that the three of them is already got surrounded by some gangsters. As Beatrice was about to warn the two, her mouth got covered by someone's hand that she already guessed is belong to a guy.

Beatrice, for some reason, didn't want the two boys to get hurt, so without a second thought, she bit the guy's hand causing the guy to cuss. Beatrice took this as her opportunity so she yelled a warning. "CRISANTO! ERIC! WATCH OUT!"