Fresh Start
Eunice POV
Finally, we have landed! We'll stay in a hotel for now," I said as I rolled our luggage toward a taxi.
"Good afternoon, pretty misses! Where are we off to?" the old driver asked as he helped us with our luggage.
"Morrison Hotel, please," I replied, settling the twins beside me.
"Alright! Are you here for vacation?" he inquired as he got in and started driving.
"No, we're here to visit relatives," I lied, well aware that they often use ignorance to charge higher fares.
"I see. This road is traffic; I'll take another road as a shortcut. Is that okay?" the driver suggested as I opened my phone to verify his claim.
"No, that's alright. Just use the original route; we're not in a rush," I said, realizing he was one of those dubious drivers.
"But, Miss, it's faster if we go this way, and I need to visit my wife in the hospital," he reasoned, showing a text on his phone as I raised my eyebrows.
"Well, either you follow the route, or we get out of the car," I said, looking at him coldly.
"But my..." he began, but I cut him off by showing him my phone, which displayed the police's telephone number, my finger hovering over the call button.
"Follow the route, or I'll call the police. Using your phone while driving, the camera inside and microphone are off, the meter is set to double the fare, and your permit is expired," I said, my voice steady and cold.
"As if you would call," he replied, making a turn onto a side street but then stopped the car suddenly.
"Bet," I said as the three of us got out, just as the taxi zoomed away with our luggage.
"Sissy, our bags!" Dahlia exclaimed, pointing.
"My doll..." Fiona looked up at me with teary eyes.
"Don't worry, Sissy will get you a new one. The hotel is just around the corner; should we walk there?" I asked the twins, offering my hand, which they took.
*Smirk* That stupid driver! I had already swapped the items in that luggage when I exited the airport, replacing them with old, worn-out clothes and broken shoes. I was planning to discard the luggage, and now someone had willingly done it for me. What a win!
"Shall we eat at this restaurant?" I asked as the twins stopped to look at a poster for Korean shaved ice.
"Can we?" Fiona asked, already forgetting about her lost doll.
"Of course! Let's go in," I replied as we entered and sat at an empty table in the corner by the kitchen.
"Hi! I'm Thomas. I'll be your server for today. Here's the menu; call me when you're ready to order," he smiled while handing us the menus.
"Thank you! What do you both want to eat?" I asked as I looked over the menu.
"This!" Fiona smiled, pointing at the picture of mango bingsu (a Korean shaved ice dessert).
"No, that's for later, after we eat," I said as I considered our meal options.
"I'll call the handsome brother!" Dahlia grinned, raising her hand and waving at Thomas, our waiter.
Now that I looked at him, he was indeed handsome-tall, with a strong nose, thick eyebrows and lashes, blue fox-like eyes, red lips, black hair, and about 6'4" in height. He could easily be a K-pop idol with looks that striking.
"Are you ready to order?" he asked, still smiling.
"Yes, we'll have bulgogi, mandu, kimchi fried rice, a cola, and a large mango bingsu," I replied, glancing at the menu again.
"Is that all, miss?" he asked after noting down my order.
"Yes, please, and three bottled waters," I added, helping to wipe the twins' hands.
"Sissy, can we pass by the arcade?" Fiona asked, pointing to the arcade across the street.
"Alright! After we have our lunch, we can play for an hour and then go to the hotel," I smiled while we waited.
"Sissy, can I use my iPad?" Dahlia inquired, squeezing my hand.
"No, we're outside, and we're about to eat. Maybe later at the hotel," I replied just as the food arrived.
"Wow, it smells so yummy!" Fiona exclaimed as the hot plate of bulgogi was placed in front of us.
"And it looks so yummy too!" Dahlia added.
"Thank you! Now go say thank you," I prompted, smiling as the twins expressed their gratitude to the waiter.
"Sissy, look! It's still sizzling!" Dahlia exclaimed, while Fiona leaned over to see what Dahlia was pointing at.
"Yes, it is! Be careful, or you'll burn yourself," I warned, serving them some kimchi fried rice along with the bulgogi and mandu.
"I will, Sissy! Don't worry about me," Dahlia said as she took a big bite of mandu after blowing on it to cool it down.
After a quick lunch, the three of us left, leaving a generous tip for the polite and attentive young man who served us. We walked toward our hotel, checked in, and headed up to our room. The twins took a long shower, scrubbing every corner of their bodies and taking extra care with their nails. Once they got dressed and dried their hair, they relaxed in bed, taking a long nap while hugging each other, with me, Eunice, in the middle.
Third Person's POV
At dinner time, we ordered room service and settled in to watch a few movies, munching on different snacks and enjoying our free time. For the next few weeks, we fell into a routine: I bought and hoarded various supplies, including clothes, food, equipment, machines, cars, shoes, undergarments, baby formula, diapers, medicines, and other seemingly unimportant items under the guise of donating, offering prizes, and starting a business. I made sure to stockpile items like seeds, seedlings, saplings, fertilizer, coal, firewood, gasoline, propane, liquefied propane gas, and tools for farming, construction, education, arts, safety, and mining. I ensured that as we moved from one country to another, the food and comfort of my siblings would remain secure.
After six months of gathering everything we needed, I decided it was time to settle down in a safe place. During our travels, I also indulged in purchasing gadgets, external hard drives, and satellite phones.
"Sissy, why are we renting a camper van?" Fiona asked, checking out the camper vans one by one.
"We're not renting one, silly! We're going to ask for a customized bus," I giggled while browsing the designs and materials, letting the twins examine everything.
"Really, Sissy? We will have a big RV house like the one on Ytube?" Dahlia asked excitedly, jumping around.
"Hi, miss! I'm Philippe, the manager of this branch. I heard you wanted to customize a bus or something of that sort?" he said, shaking my hand before guiding us into the showroom and giving me a seat by the vans.
"Ah yes, I am Eunice Maurice. I'd like to place a custom order for an RV that's as big as a transportation bus. I want the windows made of bulletproof glass, the metal with UHH armor steel, and airless or run-flat tires," I explained, pulling out the blueprint I had prepared from my backpack.
"I see. We'll probably need to collaborate with another company for that, but..." he hesitated, looking at me with suspicion.
"No need to worry. I can pay half the price today and settle the rest when everything is done," I suggested, placing my platinum card on the table.
"Ah, I see. Of course, miss! No problem! I will make sure your van is ready in a month. But if you don't mind me asking, what do you need such a van for?" he said enthusiastically.
"I usually camp in the middle of the forest, and wild animals tend to scratch and break into normal vans. I'm a zoologist, and my specialty is the big cats of the jungle, which often end up damaging RVs. I'm going all out to ensure I can do my job correctly," I lied, rubbing my temple as if stressed by the situation.
"That sounds painful but true. We will make sure to give you the best quality for your money," he said energetically, calling a few people to start the planning and work.
"Oh, Philippe, can you also do car customization?" I asked, looking at brochures for military-grade cars.
"Yes, miss! We actually sell retired military vehicles and aircraft, and we have a few ships available," he stated, finishing up the contract on his computer after assisting us in his office.
"I'll buy everything then! I've always wanted to own military-grade vehicles," I said calmly, glancing up from the brochures.
"Well, I have to contact my superior if you want to get these vehicles," he replied, giving me the contract while he stepped out to call his boss.
---
*In a tower in the capital*
"Hello, who is this? What's the reason for your call?" a tall, muscular man answered the phone, glancing at a picture in a frame on his desk.
"Boss, this is Philippe from the branch in Sta. Monica. A young miss named Eunice Maurice is asking if she could buy all the retired military vessels in our company," the manager explained, nervously fidgeting with his fingers.
"All? Give her the phone. I will talk with her instead," the man replied coldly.
"Yes, boss," Philippe said as he returned to his office.
"Miss Maurice, my boss wants to talk to you," Philippe said, handing me his phone.
"Oh, sure, thank you," I replied as I took the phone.
---
Eunice POV
On the other side of the country, the man turned his chair to face his desk, typing on his computer once he heard her voice.
"Hello, this is Eunice Maurice. Good day! Uhm, about those vehicles?" I asked gently.
"Yes, Miss Maurice. I've heard from Philippe, but I can't just sell those retired vehicles to you like that," a deep, husky voice answered-sensual yet commanding.
"Well, I'm a collector of military craftsmanship and am planning to start a museum showcasing the great accomplishments and hardships of our military personnel," I reasoned, hearing a soft chuckle on the line.
"You sound exactly like my friend, Miss Maurice. My apologies, but sure, I can sell them if you're interested. I also sell guns and knives if you'd like to add a few more displays to your 'museum,'" he suggested, the click of keyboards echoing in the background.
"Well, if you're offering, I can take that as well. I have the license and permit to buy weapons, and I can email them to you," I replied, scrolling through my phone to prepare.
"I see no problem. Send it to my email: 'thesellerguy41402'-I'm available on all emailing platforms," he said, sounding proud.
"Alright, I've sent it to you just now," I said while waiting for his confirmation.
"Well, I will call you back. Can you provide a mobile number I can reach you at after I confirm the paperwork?" he asked, a hint of smugness in his tone.
"(123) ***-8**2, that's my phone number," I replied, noticing a satisfied hum from the other end of the line.
"Haha, alright! I'll get back to you, Miss Maurice. Please give the phone back to Philippe; it was a pleasure conducting business with you," a soft chuckle reverberated through the line as I handed Philippe the phone.
After the call ended, I left the store with my siblings, having received a 10% discount from Philippe due to my significant purchase. Meanwhile, across the country, the man behind his desk watched CCTV footage from the Sta. Monica branch office, a sly smile spreading across his face as he looked closely at my image on the screen.
"My love, after searching for you for 10 months, I have finally found you. Using the same name, reason and personality like the girl I know. I won't let you go this time my love." he said, tracing a finger over the lady in the picture he had painted.