Tracy broke down and cried. “Come on, Lucas. Do you think I was the one who asked Dad to come and take her?”“Now that you say it, it's possible,” Lucas replied. Tracy wiped her tears. “I didn't know that voice recording was a prank, alright? I- I thought the kidnappers were real.”“I give you two seconds to leave this place-”“Why? I just came back and haven't even rested yet. Won't you allow me to see my baby?”Behind him, the little girl whimpered. And that was when Lucas realized she was still standing there with the Nanny. Lucas threw the Nanny a glare before taking her. “What's the matter, Baby?”“Why are you so mad at Mommy?” She blinked her teary eyes. “Mommy hasn't come back for many days. I wanna spend some time with Mommy.”The storm in Lucas's heart evaporated. He wiped her tears away. “I'm sorry, I'll let her stay.”“Great!” Tracy sniffed back her tears. She tried to take the little girl from Lucas, but Lucas held her firmly, daring her with his eyes. Tracy pursed her
As his palm swept over her hair gently, Lucas paused upon hearing her question. How could she ever be Tracy's daughter when the older she got, the more Heidi's features became prominent in hers? Genetics never lied. Her eyes, toes, fingers, all the subtle details… he'd believe he was imagining things, if he'd never seen Heidi’s photo when she was young. “Daddy…” she blinked at him, her milky eyes reminding him of her. “You don't like Mommy near us… who's my real Mommy?”In a light tone, her soft voice was but a whisper echoing in the night. The words were heavy on his chest, even heavier when he'd loved to expel them. “She left us… a long time ago.” He managed to breathe out, letting open a fresh wound in his heart. Her innocent eyes widened a bit. Driven by curiosity, she loosened up and sat on her knees, grasping his arm. “Nanny wasn't wrong… I have another Mommy.” Her eyes sparkled,And then, her smile washed away, giving way to a gloom that made her tiny brows wrinkle. “Where
…The Next Morning.Lucas was awakened by the pitter-patter of tiny feet on the floor. Before he could open his eyes, she'd already jumped onto the bed, tapping him anxiously. “Daddy- Daddy, wake up! You've gotta see this!” She called out to him eagerly, her tiny voice ringing in his ears. It was unlike her to wake him up. At this kind of time, she'd be with her Nanny, getting ready for the day. “Wake up, Daddy!” She pulled at the collar of his pajama shirt, forcing Lucas to open his eyes. “Didi, what are you doing?” The Nanny barged in then she came to a screeching halt at the door. Glancing at the floor quickly, she cleared her throat, “Uhm, Good morning, Young Master-”“What's going on?” Lucas sat up, narrowing his eyes, not forgetting that he'd had to give her an earful later. The Nanny wanted to reply when Heidi answered instead. “The bad guys have come again. They're taking Mommy away!” She announced. Oh, that. Lucas didn't give a damn. He'd return to sleeping if Tracy's
…At Mystic Island. The gentle breeze of the wind brushed past her hair, a soothing caress to her skin. Yet, the turmoil inside her heart was palpable, evident in her eyes and actions. As the sun rose up and slid down the horizon, she sat on the same spot, hugging her knees and facing the ocean. The sand behind her shuttled, measured footsteps approaching. “Hey, what's up.” Sitting beside her, Freya nudged her slightly. “I wonder how long you'll put up with this habit, Heidi.”Forever? Heidi wasn't sure. For as long as time passed by, the more her heart longed for what she'd desperately run away from, seeking solace in this non-existent life.“Sigh!” Freya rested on the sand, facing the sky. “I have this feeling that we're gonna get caught someday, Heidi… for how long are you gonna keep hiding?”For as long as she survived on this Island?Heidi rested beside her, her eyes fixed on the stars forming a constellation of a familiar face. “It's more peaceful here…” she breathed out.
… Waking up the next morning to a foreboding feeling in her chest was enough sign that her peaceful days on this Island were over. The moment she opened her eyes, someone hugged her. “What am I gonna do with you, Heidi…” Freya murmured. “An emotional outburst can cause you a second heart attack, and that will be the end of us. Our days of hiding here will be over… we'll need to go to any nearby city for your treatment, and the police won't have mercy once they catch me.”Heidi sighed inside. Did she faint last night? Her only cure was ultimate happiness, something she doubted she was ever going to find on this Island or anywhere in this world. “If I have a heart attack someday, don't bother yourself, Freya… let me die and-”“Please, Heidi… stop it,” Freya whispered. “How dare you wish death upon yourself? You're the nicest person I've ever met; I fell for a villain and almost let him slip away, I lost my job and was about to lose my life but you saved me even though we never kne
“A kid means no harm. Relax, Heidi.” Jason patted her shoulder. “That pilot must be her father.”Heidi sat on the couch. “Now let me get to work! I'll see to it that that man is taught a lesson for crossing my number one rule of this Island! No tourists are allowed with a helicopter!”As Jason matched out of the room, Freya snickered. “He's doing a bad job managing this place. Too bad none of us can be in charge.”Under the pretense of working for the AG Group and managing the resorts here, Jason had moved to the mystic Island to be with her. One coincidence led to the guy clinging onto her.Driven by curiosity, he'd wandered into this cabin on a particular day, which was rumored to be haunted, and that was how he found her and Freya. Wondering if Jason was going to send the father and daughter back even though she didn't like that idea, Heidi carried on with her day, taking a walk down the empty beach separated from the resort’s area. The Island ahead was like an abandoned old ca
From caressing the girl's hair, Heidi found herself drawing her close, wrapping her in a gentle embrace. “What's your name?” Uncertainty filling her heart, she asked in a hoarse voice.The little girl neither struggled nor made a sound of discomfort, she in fact snuggled deeper into Heidi's embrace. She murmured, “Nanny calls me Didi, but Daddy calls me Heidi.”Heidi shut her eyes, swallowing down a sudden lump in her throat. A soft laughter escaped her lips. “That's a beautiful name you have, Baby.”However, the little girl pulled away, furrowing her brows. “But my first Mommy dislikes it. She once argued with Daddy about it.”“Oh, is that so?” Sniffing back the tears threatening to burst out, Heidi forced a smile. “Why doesn't she like your name?”“Because she's a meanie. Nanny said she made my Mommy disappear.” The girl blew out a sigh, her tone gloomy. “But Daddy promised she won't bother us anymore.”Heidi didn't know where to keep her emotions. She just didn't want to cry in f
“For the first time, I'm agreeing with Jason's words.” Freya nodded. “Let's return her to the poor man, Heidi. She's not lost.”“Please don't let them take me away, Mommy.” The little girl hugged Heidi's arm. “I promise I'll be obedient. We'll stay in this paradise forever.”“Don't mind them, I won't let you go.” Heidi patted her hair. She stared at Jason and Freya, communicating with her eyes. The two gave her crestfallen looks and sighed at the same time. That Night;Heidi rested on her bed, holding the baby close, and sniffing the familiar scent on her. Citrus mixed with lavender. The scent of the Harrisons Villa. A scent that only belonged to the man she loved. Whenever she thought of him in the past, she'd feel hate and remorse, but now… the thought of him brought fear to her heart, and a regret she couldn't deny. Beside her, the little girl shifted. She opened her sleepy eyes, her wide milky eyes blinking. “Why aren't you sleeping, Mommy?”“I just love staring at you.” H