Chapter 7

Inside an Audi Q8, Lex and Mr. Dominic were in a heated discussion at the driver area.

 "You mean Samsara inc. has begun to make it's move?" Lex frowned, adjusting the tie on his school uniform.

 "Infact, all of the heirs are making their move. They wish to dominate the slots for sponsers" Mr. Dominic had a look of reverence when he spoke, picking one word bit by bit.

 He felt tremendous respect for the youth sitting with him. To be accomplished at such an ange, he was envious at this his superior's father.

 "A bunch of idiots, directly clinging onto the bait" Lex sneered.

 "Just as you anticipated" Mr. Dominic grinned.

 "Make a move, it's better we go along with the flow than to risk them growing suspicious" Lex instructed.

 "Yes sir!"

 Lex nodded and opened the door. He waltzed towards the bungalow and saw an extremely familiar figure standing at the porch.

 It was Rose.

 "Mum" Lex gave her a hug.

 "Still stressing Mr. Dominic eh?" Rose pulled his cheeks.

"He isn't bothered" Lex shrugged as he walked inside and hung his backpack on the rack.

 "Nobody's home?" he asked, after noticing the silence in the room.

 "Off to work. Infact, i was about to go out for grocery shopping" Rose cupped Lex cheeks.

 "Be a good boy and don't stray out okay?"

 "Mum. I'm not a kid yunno" Lex whined.

 "You can't escape being my little baby" Rose ruffeled his hair and left.

 Lex swiftly dialed a line on his iphone.

 "Yes young master?" Mr. Dominic's voice rang from the other end.

 "Trail after my mum. She's going to Wade's Groceries for shopping. I want you to foot the bills, but do it covertly okay?" Lex instructed.

 "I'll go after her right away young master!"

* * *

 Rose rolled the trolley as she looked around the various sections, browzing through their contents and price tag.

 "Too expensive" she wanted to pick up a canned corn beef but became discouraged after seeing it's outrageous price.

 "Rose? is that you?"

Just at that moment, she heard a shocked voice from behind her.

 Twirling around, she saw a lady who seemed to be in her mid twenties, staring at her gobsmacked. Somehow she felt like she knew this lady, but couldn't figure out where and how.

 "You look familiar.. have we met before?"

 But to her surprise, the lady pulled her into a bear hug and began to sob.

 "I.. i thought i was never going to see you again" the lady said in between sobs.

 Rose just stood there like a sculpture, unable to comprehend why this lady was acting so emotional.

 This further strengthened her claim of being familiar with this lady.

 "I.. I am sorry. I just got carried away" the lady broke the hug and began to clean her tears, appearing embarrassed.

 "Erm, it's okay. But have we met before?" Rose asked again.

 "It's a long story. I'll explain somewhere else. Please follow me" the lady began to push her trolley towards the payment counter.

 Somehow, Rose gut prompted her to trust in this lady, so she followed after her.

When they arrived at the counter, the lady handed a card to the payment elective behind the counter, who just happened to be a lady.

 The lady began to sort through the huge pile of stuffs and said.

 "Two thousand dollars"

 "Count her own too" the strange lady pointed at Rose.

 Just as Rose wanted to protest, the cash lady said something shocking.

 "A stranger has footed her bills already"

 "Huh?" Rose felt like she misheard.

 Someone footed her bills? who would be so generous to do so.

 "Looks like you have a secret admirer in the shadows" the strange lady gave Rose a meaningful smile, causing the latter to blush.

 After their stuffs were packaged, the duo exited the grocery store. The strange lady led Rose towards an expensive looking Maybach.

 "Your car is beautiful" she complimented.

 "But i still don't know where you are taking me to"

 The strange lady sighed.

 "Please trust me on this. Hurting you would be the last thing i would ever do" the strange lady promised and got into the car.

Murmurring a silent prayer, Rose sat besides her. The strange lady started the ignition and hit the road.

 But what these two ladies didn't know was that a few distances away from them, a man clad in bikers outfit wearing dark shades leaned against a Yamaha bike.

 The biker fetched out a phone from his pocket and dialed a line.

 "The target has begun to move"

 Back at Rose side..

 "Curious about my identity?" after driving for more than five minutes of silence, the lady eventually spoke.

 "Yes. I mean why wouldn't i? but i am sure you wouldn't tell me" Rose rolled her eyes.

 "My name is Stacie" Stacie introduced, monitoring Rose expression.

 Unfortunately, Rose just smiled naturally.

 "You have a nice name. My name is.."

 "Rose" Stacie beat her to it.

 "How did you know?" Rose was surprised.

 "Because, i know you. Our relationship goes way back" Stacie sighed.

 "Way back? but i don't remember" Rose mumbled.

 "You really don't remember?" Stacie sighed

Rose nodded slowly.

 "I am curious. What was our relationship like in the past? how did we meet? do you have an idea why i just can't seem to remember anything?" Rose spat a string of questions.

 "Geez. How do i answer that much?" Stacie laughed.

 "Sorry, i was just so excited. I didn't have much friends, so i couldn't control myself when i learnt you were an acquittance in the past" Rose pinched her nose.

 "I was just joking. Actually i even feel embarrassed when recalling our first meeting" Stacie's eyes held a glint of reminiscing the past.

 "It was nearing evening and you were leaving the movie theatre with your guards. Suddenly, one of your guards caught a small thief trying to pick pocket you.." Stacie tried holding up her laughter.

 "Let me guess, that thief was you?" Rose chuckled.

 "Yep. Your guards wanted to beat me to death, not like the police would give a damn anyway. I was just a little dirty poor homeless thief"

"But surprisingly, you spoke up for me. Perhaps due to loneliness, you pleaded for me to be your playmate. So, that's how our relationship kick started"

 Rose fell into contemplation. Judging from Stacie's explaination, she came from a wealthy home.

 But then how did she end up in an orphanage. Her brain was starting to sting from thinking too much about the oblivious.

 At that moment, the maybach came to an halt before a restaurant.

 "B&A Joint?" Rose gasped upon seeing the signboard.

 This was a very popular but expensive restaurant. According to what she read, the cheapest meal menu cost more than five hundred dollars.

 Stacie smiled wryly on seeing Rose behaviour. She alighted and led Rose into the restaurant.

 "Hmm.." Rose inhaled the fragrance of the french fries and nuggets that assaulted her nose.

 Her mouth unknowingly began to water.

 "Over here?" a frail wrinkled hand waved at the duo.

 It was a slim lady wearing a beautiful dress with her scalp full of grey hair.

"Aunt Gloria" Stacie gave the lady a hug as they arrived at her table.

 "Sit" Aunt Gloria smiled warmly at Rose.

 "You must be hungry, luckily i ordered alot for you. I even ordered your favourite dip"

 "How do you know my favourite dip?" Rose questioned as she began to munch on a stick of fries.

 "Stacie must have explained some tidbit, but lend me your attention" Aunt Gloria sucked in a deep breath.

 "I was just a lowly maid, one of the twelve serving your family, the Monroe family. At that time, they were a behemoth both national and international"

 "You were the only heir to your family. Perhaps due to your gender or some dark schemes, your family was attacked right in their house by their butler.. ahh, remembering that day brings me a lot of sorrow" Aunt Gloria sniffled.

 "At that time, you were not even up to five. Your mother prior to her death left your safety in my hands. Of everyone present at that time, only you, Stacie and i survived"

"While on the run, we faced both covert and open assassination attempts. My fear took the better part of me, prompting me to abandon you at an orphanage" Aunt Gloria began to sob hard.

 Rose just watched on blankly, unable to fully comprehend this shocking information. Her past was this deep?

 For years she would always sink in her imagination, musing why her parents left her at an orphanage. Today, she finally learnt the truth.

 But it was contrary to all her previous speculations.