Back To Present Time…
"Good morning, Aunt Anna," she greeted.
Unable to hide her excitement, Genevieve got out of her seat to meet her aunt halfway, pulling the older woman into a hug. Anna, however, didn't seem to share the same sentiment as she quickly pushed her niece away and pulled her to their booth instead.
As soon as they were seated, she didn't waste time before scolding, ''How could you do that, Eve? This is public space. Anyone could have been watching and noticed us together!"
''Well, no one was,'' Genevieve stated, gesturing with her hand around the cafe. ''That's why we chose the private booth, isn't it?''
Anna sighed.
''It's alright. Forget about that and let's discuss serious matters." She leaned forward, lowering her voice into a whisper, "How come you are here already when you just left yesterday? Don't tell me you are giving up already when it's barely 24 hours. Reynolds will be very annoyed!''
Geneveieve shrugged.
''Well, he can't be annoyed because one, he's dead and two, I've been purchased. Actually, the one who killed him is the one who bought me…" she trailed off, rephrasing her sentence when she noticed it was wrong "No, the one who bought me is the father of the one who killed him.''
''What?! He's dead… Why was he killed?!" Anna exclaimed, her hands trembling beneath the table. She could not help but cast a quick glance around the café to see if there was any suspicious person watching them until Genevieve's calm voice filtered into her ears, alleviating her worries.
''The man… the one who killed Reynolds gave a stupid reason that Reynolds was breathing the same air as Mrs Visconti."
At the confusion vividly expressed all over her aunt's face, Genevieve quickly filled her in on everything that had happened the previous night, and by the time she was done talking, Anna was staring at her with eyes widened in disbelief.
''So now… you have been purchased?'' she asked, just to confirm.
Genevieve nodded.
''By an old man who is more than fifty years older than you?''
She nodded again.
''And this old man has a son?''
''That's right.''
''And this son killed the auctioneer because he was breathing the same air as Mrs Visconti, which is you... your new position..."
Another nod.
''And when you asked what air was the man supposed to breathe, the son did like he just realized that and said he must have been bored then?''
''Exactly!'' Genevieve nodded vigorously. "Isn't that outrageous?"
Anna let out a huge exhale.
''He must be crazy. If he's klling someone because they bored him, what would he do to the one who really offended him?"
''Let's pray we don't find out," Genevieve grimaced, forcing herself not to think of Adrian's face and failing hopelessly. "You must see his eyes, Aunt Anna, they show that he's absolutely crazy and emotionless. To think I would have to live with him for the rest of my life.''
''Wait… that's true,'' Anna exclaimed like she was just realizing something. "You are already bought for life, so how come you are out now? Your owner didn't… use you and discard you, right?''