Michael stormed back into the glittering chaos of the mansion ballroom. Laughter, music, and clinking glasses drowned out his urgency. He scanned the rows of servants carrying trays of champagne and wine, but the one with the sharp, narrow eyes and the faint scar on his chin was gone.
He cornered another servant, demanding, "Where was the one who served the red wine here earlier?" The man only looked blank, stammering that he didn't know — perhaps the servant had been sent to the kitchens, perhaps dismissed for the night.
Michael searched the hallways and even slipped into the servants' quarters, but there was no trace. The wine bottle itself had vanished from the tables, replaced neatly with unopened ones, as if it had never been poured.
By the time he circled back, frustration boiled inside him. Someone did not want him finding that servant. Someone had cleaned up the evidence.
~~~
She awoke hours after Morgan had shed enough tears. Emily already fell asleep beside her bed.
"Mo?"
She raised her head immediately and brushed away a tear with her fingers.
"Meg! Oh Lord, thank you. You're finally awake. I'm here. I'm right here."
"What happened? Em..." She slightly turned to her left to see her, rubbing her eyes.
"Megan Adams!" She exclaimed as she hugged her. "Thank God you finally woke up, Mo would've visited you to give you a quick beating in the land of the dead."
Meg laughed as she turned to Mo.
"She knows that." She replied with a faint smile. "Someone wants to kill you Meg, probably us. Maybe this has something to do with the demise of mother and father."
"Who can be so cruel?" Emily said in disbelief.
"Where's Michael?"
"He went back to the party to find the perpetrator. He brought you here."
"The guy, his name's Michael?" Emily asked.
"Yeah, actually we're neighbors."
"He seems to care for you Meg, deeply. He was looking so sad and angry watching you lying there like a stick."
Meg sighed. Maybe. He isn't bad after all.
"Nanny kept on calling and I picked. I told her we're fine and we're sleeping at Emily's place tonight."
"What? You lied to her?"
"I couldn't tell her the truth. You know how she is. She'll come running here and it's dangerous. We don't even know who's out there trying to kill us."
Megan shut her eyes and wondered who would really try to kill them. Their parents weren't in any enemity with anyone as long as she knew. And why was the person so desperate to the point of poisoning her at a party? Were they being monitored? Many thoughts ran across her mind. She had vowed for revenge. To find the assassin and the person who murdered their parents in cold blood on a chilly winter, and make them pay. Torture them to death. But how was she even going to do that? Will she even be alive till then?
"What of Rose? Did you guys later meet with her?"
Mo shook her head. "We're not even sure she came to the party. Her line has been switched off for hours now."
Oh God. Something is not right. Rose has been the one calling them since for the party, and now....her line is switched off?
She tried to sit up on her bed and Mo helped her. Her head was better now, just still with a slight ache.
"Em, could you help me check the time?"
"Twenty minutes after three. You really slept for hours."
She held her breath for a while and slid back onto her bed, gazing at the ceiling.
"Well, I'm awake now, right? I'm not dead yet," she smiled as she turned to them."I'm just worried about Rose."
~~~
For the next two hours, Meg sat on her sick bed with the most royal treatment ever. Her eyes rolling and lips curving into smiles. Emily yet brought another plate of sliced apples with a fork, gesturing her to open her mouth.
"Come on. Ahh."
"Em, please you guys, I'm full already. You guys want to treat me like I awoke from the dead, really now?"
Mo turned and chuckled. "But you did."
Her phone began to ring noisily, and it was Nanny. "Oh no, "she turned to Meg with a troubled gaze as she accepted the call.
"When are you guys coming back? I've been calling your sister but her phone's switched off." Her voice was sounding very worrisome.
Mo removed the phone from her ear and whispered to her twin, "Why did you turn off your phone?," Then she returned to the call, "Oh, maybe it's just on airplane mode since the party, " she said, giving Meg a side eye as she nodded in return. "But we'll be back soon- Madame Fiona. Give us...three hours. You must already be missing us so badly." She grinned.
"Please do. I fear for you guys safety. Your pancakes will be waiting too. Extend my greetings to your girlfriend."
"Done Nanny," Mo replied as she smiled at Emily. "Yummy pancakes, we'll be back soon!" She ended the call, hurrying towards Meg.
"The doctor said you'll be discharged soon. Don't worry."
Megan heaved as she fumbled with the tip of her clean sheets, the clean pipe with her blood inside irritating her. She looked at the drip hanging there above her head. It was almost finishing. She hated it. The sight of her blood. The smell of drugs and antiseptics. Everything about being sick.
"But I don't think we'll keep this incident a secret from her forever. We have to let her know what happened to me. She has to know that our lives are in danger."
"Ofcourse," Mo almost interrupted as she rubbed Meg's wrists. "But get well first. We'll tell her everything, okay?"
"Yeah, I think that's the best idea Meg. Just don't..." Emily's phone interrupted as she was still speaking in her timid voice. She almost yelped.
"Rose!"
The twins turned sharply, eyes bulging, mouths holding a million questions for Rose.
"What happened Rose? Where have you been?!" Emily screamed. Mo quickly came to the other side of the bed where she was sitting.
"Rose? Rose, tell us what happened to you as why your phone was switched off for so long. Girl?"
"Guys I'm so sorry," Rose began over the line. "Em I was about meeting you because I saw you. Then, I....I met Davis." She said quietly, sounding as if it was a blurted secret. She already anticipated the girls' mood. "Actually he was the one that saw me first. He then yanked me off the party, and my phone fell in the process." She paused, as if trying to picture the faces of the people she was speaking to over the phone.
"Rose!" Mo began first. "Davis is your Ex! Did you guys get back together?"
"No! No Mo, God forbid!," Rose defended firmly. "I gave him a hot slap instead. He tried forcing a kiss on me, gibbering on how he's been obsessed with me. After the incident with him, I couldn't understand myself anymore. I was devastated and confused...I had to drink till I got drunk, I didn't even know how I got to my place. I'm... sorry." She finally ended, her tone very apologetic.
"Gosh, why don't you just arrest that oaf? Seriously we were so worried about you." Emily said.
Meg adjusted on her bed. She felt very sorry for Rose. Davis was a bastard. A guy who couldn't even cherish his girl.
"No Rose, we're sorry. For what happened to you." She said from where she sat, raising her voice so that Rose could hear her.
"I'm good now, Meg. Thanks girls for forgiving me. I'll really call the cops on that bitch next time."
"Megan," Mo began, her voice faltering as she sat uneasily at the edge of the bed. "My sister. She's hospitalized now. She was poisoned at the party."
Rose gasped over the phone. Emily could imagine her expression right then.
"What?! Megan! Meg! Jesus...christ!"
"I'm fine now Em. I'm getting better, I'm not dead." Meg smiled sadly. Her grey eyes harboring a tear she didn't want to believe was there.
"Poisoned?!," Rose couldn't still believe her ears. "Which hospital is that?" She demanded, her voice feisty.
"Umm... Savior. It's 5 miles away from the party hall." Mo replied as she could remember. She almost bashed her car with speed when she was coming to see her only sister with Emily. It was the blue scribble at the entrance that she caught a glimpse of as she was dashing in.
"I'm on my way." And Rose ended the call immediately. Megan sighed as she rested her head weakly on her pillow. She so much hated this. Being sick. Worrying people. Now, Rose would be all frantic and even trembling, running to come and see her. She can be dramatic atimes too.
As she rested her head and shut her eyes, trying to take in all the air she thought she might not be opportuned to take again even though she didn't like it's drug-like smell, Emily on her phone, Mo caressing her hand, her lashes flickered open suddenly. She had perceived a new smell. A scent. This scent, of something familiar. Someone... tangibly familiar. This cologne.
It filled her nostrils as her heart leaped. Then someone came to the door and stood. It was him. Michael.