Kellan didn't reply and got out of the car, his movements smooth and graceful. He looked like a total nobleman.
Kellan had urgent stuff to take care of and left without a second thought. Cora had this weird feeling, like she had seen those eyes before.
"Dad!" Cora suddenly sat up in shock. Right after she opened her eyes, she saw this tall and upright figure that reminded her of her father.
The figure was tall and naturally gave off this noble aura. Rachel heard Cora's shout and stared at Kellan's back as he walked away, feeling this dull pain in her chest.
---
Five years ago, at the Blue Note Bar.
"Sis, you're amazing. You got into the best university around here. Mom and Dad are so happy, especially Dad. He's literally so proud he wants to grab a loudspeaker and shout it to all the neighbors. You really made them proud," Nora said, her pretty face lit up with a big smile.
"Nora, it's too noisy here. Let's go back," Rachel frowned. The bar was way too loud.
Nora had invited a bunch of her friends to the bar to celebrate Rachel getting into university.
"Sis, you hardly ever come to bars, just relax for a bit," Nora said, pulling Rachel to sit down. "This drink is their signature one, it's sweet and delicious."
"I don't drink," Rachel quickly waved her hand to say no.
She had never drunk alcohol before.
"Sis, this one's not strong. You won't get drunk. Don't be a buzzkill," Nora said.
"Yeah," some of the others joined in too.
Rachel didn't want to ruin the mood, so she took a small sip. It really was sweet and tasty.
But then Nora's friends kept topping off her glass, giving her more and more.
After a few drinks, her head started to spin and she felt weird.
"Nora, let's go home," Rachel said, feeling dizzy.
"If you go back like this, my mom will totally flip out. My friend said there's a room upstairs, and he's not using it. You can go lie down there and rest for a bit," Nora raised her eyebrows slightly, a strange smile on her face.
"Okay," Rachel hesitated, frowning. But when she imagined her aunt seeing her like this, she realized getting yelled at was the least of her problems. She might actually get kicked out.
"I'll take you up," Nora said quickly, grabbing Rachel and heading toward the elevator.
Rachel didn't even have time to think. Her head was a mess. She let Nora pull her along, just stumbling forward.
The second they got in the room, Rachel was pushed down onto the bed.
She felt really bad. Her whole body felt heavy and weak.
"Are you there yet? My sister's in room 1201. She's already drunk. Hurry up and don't forget to take pictures," Nora's voice made Rachel jolt awake a bit from her dazed state.
She struggled to sit up, not sure if she heard that right. But no matter what, she had only one thought in her head, run.
Her brain felt like it was crawling with ants, and she could barely move. Rachel forced herself up and staggered to the door.
Right as she turned toward the stairwell, she heard a rough male voice growl, "Where did she go?"
Panicking, Rachel rushed up the stairs like someone was chasing her.
She used all her strength just to keep moving, holding onto the wall for support.
Suddenly, she stumbled into a room and slammed the door shut behind her.
Panting, she leaned against the door and whispered, "Is someone there? Water… I need water."
The room was completely dark. Rachel tripped and fell forward. "Water…" she mumbled, her head spinning like crazy.
"Mmm…" The cool touch of something felt really comforting. Rachel thought it might be a cold drink or water.
"Who…?" A cold, deep voice echoed. It was icy and chilling. And in the darkness, Rachel thought she saw a pair of sharp, eagle-like eyes staring at her.
"Water? Hmm, I want water, my mouth is so thirsty."
Rachel's mind was all fuzzy. She could barely think straight, and she couldn't fight off how good Linda's touch felt…
"Help me... I want water..." Rachel mumbled again, her hand accidentally brushing against Linda's cold thing below.
---
The sun poured through the curtains, lighting up Willow's room as Rachel slowly opened her eyes. Her whole body was sore, aching in places she didn't even know could hurt.
The room had this clean, refreshing smell.
She looked around, confused. It was a big suite, and the thick curtains kept most of the sunlight out.
She tried to move, but her waist hurt, her limbs were sore, and even her brain felt like it was shaking.
Then the memories from last night slowly started coming back. She lifted the blanket in panic to check herself, everything looked clean, nothing out of place.
But her fair skin was full of faint bruises.
She had escaped one danger, only to fall into another, by her own choice!
Rachel didn't even know what to say.
She struggled to get out of bed, her body screaming in pain. Her legs and waist were so sore she wanted to cry.
Without thinking about anything else, she picked up her clothes from the floor and hurried to get dressed. She didn't even dare look back at the man sleeping beside her.
All she could remember were his cold, soft lips… and those sharp eagle-like eyes.
---
"Mummy, could that man be my daddy?" Cora asked, looking up at Rachel with wide eyes as she watched the man walk away.
Her little voice snapped Rachel out of her thoughts. She softened her expression and looked down at Cora lovingly.
"Mummy will work really hard to save up for a car. Then I can take you out to play every day, and who knows, maybe we'll bump into your daddy, right?" Rachel smiled gently and patted Cora's head.
She could already imagine how excited Cora would be the day she finally met her real father.
"Okay!" Cora lifted her face, blinking those big round eyes full of hope.
She really wanted a dad, just like the other kids. And the man from before… he really looked like one.
"If we can't find my real daddy, can we ask that man to be my daddy instead, Mummy? He looked sooo handsome," Cora said, her big eyes sparkling with ideas.
If he became her dad, all the other kids would totally envy her.
"Okay, okay, we'll do what you say," Rachel laughed softly. She couldn't help going along with Cora's fantasy.
How could someone that handsome actually be her father? Rachel's eyes held a hint of helplessness, even though her heart was warm.
She leaned down and kissed Cora's forehead. "Cora, be good and sleep a little longer, okay?"
"Okay, Mommy." Cora smiled sweetly, returned the kiss, and rolled over to snuggle into a comfy position. Her eyes slowly closed.
Rachel looked at her daughter's quiet little face and felt her chest fill with warmth. She started the car and disappeared into the endless night.
---
The next morning, sunlight came streaming through the windows, gently falling across Mommy's smiling face. Her smile was so warm.
"Mommy, what smells so yummy?" Cora asked excitedly, her big round eyes sparkling as she looked around like a little kitten about to pounce.
"There's your favorite omelette," Rachel said, pinching her daughter's soft, pink nose.
"Mommy, you're the best! Muah~" Cora puckered her lips and blew her a kiss.
"Mommy has to go to work soon, but I'll make you something delicious when I get back at noon. Don't open the door for strangers, okay?" Rachel caught the imaginary kiss with her hand and fed Cora a piece of meat with the other.
"I know," Cora replied sweetly, her lips curling into a smile. Mommy reminded her so many times every day, she already knew it by heart. But she still promised like a good girl.