[17 - The Connection Between Souls]

Chloe didn't wake up the whole night and Marcus couldn't sleep even a wink. He stayed the whole night by his daughter's side to make sure that she was fine and to provide her with whatever she might need in case she woke up.

He had noticed the not so subtle changes in his daughter and though at first they didn't ring any alarm bells, but this.

Marcus was sure that something was definitely wrong with Chloe. There has to be someone because of whom Chloe was behaving this way. She had been like this before, different than her usual self. And thing turned out to be real bad.

This situation felt similar and different at the same time and that difference that he could spot in the similarity of the situation was what distressed Marcus the most.

Also, for some reason, Marcus couldn't help but connect Chloe's situation with what happened with Ethan a week and few days ago. It did sound like he was being paranoid but it was more of an instinct of a guilty heart.

Over the years Marcus had made so many enemies that it was not impossible for someone to come after him. He could not dismiss the possibility that what happened with Ethan and what is going on with Chloe was not a coincidence but someone's calculated planning.

══════ ∘◦♛◦∘ ══════

Elijah too couldn't sleep that night. He was equally worried about his little sister but unlike his father he did not believe that someone was out there playing some sick manipulative game with them. Elijah believed that they should not jump to any conclusions until they hear it from Chloe's mouth about what happened.

Another thought that did not let him sleep was the poem that his favorite artist "Phoenix" had posted on their blog. This wasn't the first time that they had posted something so hauntingly beautiful, so dark and vengeful. But unlike those previous times, this particular piece tugged at the strings of his heart like no other.

Elijah wanted to leave a comment but hesitated. He could not make his mind about what should he do. He had never been this confused in his life but God knows what's happening with him since he came back from London.

He's dreaming about the same memory from his past, he has gotten overly fixated on a woman he could not even remember where he met, and now he's been feeling emotional over a poem. it was there was something contagious in the air that has infected him.

Who would believe that this was the man who was known for his intellect and brilliance in the business world?

With a sigh, Elijah plopped down on the bed and covered his eyes with his arm in an effort to relax his mind so as to be able to think about everything with a calm and rational mind. Minutes passed and Elijah didn't even realize when sleep overtook his senses.

In that semi-conscious state of his mind, Elijah dreamed once again. But this time he did not dream of his memories with the 5 years old Caroline. Instead, he dreamed about Seraphina.

Elijah dreamed of a dark, haunted mansion with burnt down walls, dried blood splatters, and the smell of something burning. He took a step forward giving into the urge to explore the place when he was startled by the sound of a heart wrenching scream.

Elijah ran into the direction of the scream and found a woman in the middle of a ring of fire. She was on her knees, her face covered with her hair as she wailed that told the story of her grief. Without caring about anything, Elijah stepped forward and into the ring of fire.

He kneeled down beside the woman and gently pushed back her long hair behind her ear. His eyes widened at the sight of Seraphina. For a few seconds he continued to stare at her while she cried. And then suddenly, she raised her head and screamed, "Save me!"

The horror of it was enough for Elijah to startle awake. His heart was pounding in his chest, racing thrice as fast than it should. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as Elijah panted hard still reeling from the horror of whatever that dream was.

"Ah!" Elijah clutched at his chest as he felt a pang of pain slash across his chest. "What the hell?!" he whispered to himself unable to understand anything.

"Just -" Seraphina's sorrow filled face flashed across his mind, "who are you, Seraphina?"

Elijah could not deny the inexplainable attraction that he felt towards the mysterious woman. He was attracted to her because of the sense of familiarity and fog of mystery that surrounded her. He didn't have any romantic feelings for her. But it hurts.

It pained him to see Seraphina in that state, caused him so much hurt that it brought tears to his eyes. "What in the world is happening to me?" Elijah wondered aloud.

══════ ∘◦♛◦∘ ══════

The next morning, Chloe woke up feeling a little groggy. Her eyes felt puffy she could feel the signs of a slight headache. With a groan, she sat up on the bed and stretched her arms above her head. She looked out through the window of her room and noticed that it was day time.

Worried that she got late for the office, Chloe hastily picked up her cell phone from the side table and checked the time. She had indeed gotten late. Chloe was about to burst into tears but then she noticed the message that she had received from Seraphina.

You can take a day off tomorrow, Chloe. Just take rest, okay.

Also, I had a chat with Dahlia and she was apologetic for her behavior so don't feel bad, hhmm.

Chloe felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her body sagged with utter relief on finding out that Dahlia wasn't upset with her and that she had realized her mistake. She smiled and placed her phone aside.

Feeling parched, Chloe turned to pour herself a glass of water and it was then that she noticed her father asleep while sitting on the couch. For a second she wondered why he was there until she was reminded of the yesterday's events.

She recalled being so nervous that she injured Dahlia, she recalled being slapped. Chloe remembered coming back home and crying in her Dad's arms, "Shit!" she muttered to herself and stepped down the bed to wake up her father. She wondered if she had told him about what had happened.

She hoped she hadn't.

"Dad -" she shook Marcus gently to wake him up.

"Hhmm." murmured Marcus as he blinked his eyes a few times, "Chloe!" he sounded panicked, "Are you okay, sweetheart? When did you wake up? Do you need anything?" he asked while standing up from the couch.

"I am fine Dad, and no, I don't need anything. Relax!" she said while placing her hands on either of his arms.

Marcus cradled his daughter's face in his hand, his thumb gently rubbing across her still red cheek, "Who did this to you?" Marcus's tone had a dangerous undercurrent to it.

"Dad -" Chloe did not know how to explain this.

"I asked, who did this to you, Chloe." Marcus repeated and Chloe knew that her father would destroy Dahlia completely if she were to say her name.

"Dad, it was my fault. I made the mistake." she tried to argue, "I was the wrong one, okay. Don't be upset."

"Upset?" Marcus scoffed and took a step back, "I am not upset, I am furious, Chloe!" he held his daughter by her shoulders and said, "You are my daughter, Marcus Grayson's daughter. No one, I repeat, no one can hurt you like this and get away with it."

"Dad -"

"Did that Seraphina do this? Is she responsible for this?" questioned Marcus, ready to march to The Seraphina Atelier to teach that bloody Seraphina a lesson.

"It was not her!" Chloe exclaimed immediately, "Please don't be like this, Dad."

Marcus frowned angrily at his daughter wondering why was she protecting the person who slapped her so hard that her cheek was still red and there was a visible hand print on her cheek.

"Dad, listen to me." Chloe tried her best to convince her father, "There was this task going on and I ended up injuring this person, hurting her so much that it drew blood. That is why she -"

Marcus didn't let her finish her sentence before roaring, "Who was that? Tell me, Chloe, who did this."

Before Chloe could say something they were interrupted by a knock at her door. "Miss Grayson, a man is waiting for you downstairs. He says that he wants to meet you." informed the maid at the door.

"Who is it?" asked Chloe.

"He says he came from Starling Fashions and that his boss has sent a gift for you as n apology for what happened yesterday." the maid replied.

"A gift? Dahlia." a soft smile curved upon Chloe's lips, her eyes brightened thinking about what gift Dahlia must have sent while Marcus's eyes darkened. He now had the name that Chloe was so reluctant to tell him.

"Dahlia? Is she the one who slapped you?" questioned Marcus but Chloe was no longer there to respond.

She had runaway to check the gift from this Dahlia who was courageous enough to slap Marcus Grayson's beloved daughter. Ready to tear the damn woman apart into shreds of nothingness, Marcus went downstairs to see this gift. 

He wanted to know what the damn woman thought was enough to compensate the harsh slap. He wanted to see what price she thought she could pay to buy forgiveness from him and his daughter.