Iris:
Panic struck us both, and we began looking around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.
"It’s coming from there," Luca said, pointing toward the waterfall.
A woman was drowning, screaming for help.
Even if I could swim, I would not have been able to save her because I was pregnant.
Kash and the warriors had told Luca to stay by my side like a shadow. Kash did not want overexerting myself.
Without hesitation, Luca jumped straight into the water to save the woman.
I did not understand how soone had appeared here.
The place was heavily guarded by warriors. No one was supposed to get in.
Otherwise, what would be the point? Anyone could show up, take pictures of , and prove I was not in prison.
But I pushed those thoughts aside for now. I was more concerned about the woman’s life.
Luca cut through the water like a shark, reaching her within seconds. The next thing I knew, he was carrying her back toward .
He rushed out of the water and laid her down only once we reached the entrance of the resort.
Water pooled on the floor from her clothes and hair. That was the first thing I noticed, how striking her hair was.
She had thick platinum-blonde hair with a faint green hue, almost like an ombre. So strands shimred green, yet it looked completely natural.
Her skin was flawless with a soft pink flush. When she fluttered her eyes open, fear was written all over her face.
"Are you okay?" I asked while Luca worked to get the water out of her lungs.
"I’ll get a towel," I said.
But before I could stand, she grabbed my hand, stopping .
Luca understood that she felt more comfortable with . He gestured that he would bring the towel instead.
Once he left, the woman pulled herself closer and rested her head in my lap. She was trembling.
"Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe now," I told her, running my hand gently through her wet hair.
"I was so scared," she cried softly. "I thought I would drown. I thought that would be the end of ."
She was shaking from the cold.
"Who are you? How did you end up here?" I asked.
She lifted her head and looked into my eyes for a few seconds before speaking.
"I am Eira—" she said, then hesitated. "Irene."
"I jumped into the water to escape my father, and the current carried all the way here. I don’t know how I survived. It feels like a miracle. I can’t even swim," she murmured.
Then she buried her face in her hands and started crying.
Luca arrived monts later. I took the towel from him and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"You should co inside and dry yourself first," I said, helping her stand.
"Maybe we should inform the warriors. Kash needs to know there may be a victim of abuse," I told Luca quietly, trying to make sense of the situation.
Suddenly, she turned around to face us in a way we did not expect.
Until now, she had been gentle. She had moved slowly and carefully.
But in that mont, she beca alert.
"No, please do not inform anyone yet," she requested, watching us both with her big blue eyes, blinking softly. "You won’t do that, right?" she insisted again.
We kept staring at her for a few seconds.
I could not even hear my own thoughts anymore. There was just silence. Nothing else.
And then I suddenly snapped out of it, looking around before looking back at her.
"Yeah, sure," I said, without even realizing what I was agreeing to.
Although I did not want to hide this from Kash, it felt as if I had no option left.
She suddenly smiled.
"That’s good."
It was the way she said it.
I do not know what was happening at that mont, but we agreed to whatever she suggested.
And then she was back to normal. Normal in that fragile way, dropping to her knees so suddenly that I had to rush forward and hold her.
"Let’s take her to your room and help her change," Luca suggested.
I nodded absentmindedly and led her toward my room so she could change into sothing warm and dry.
I took her with and led her into the bathroom to freshen up.
While she was inside, I noticed sothing on the ground. Where she had walked, she had left a trail of water, which was understandable.
But how the hell had it dried within seconds?
I had just watched her close the bathroom door, and the next thing I knew, there was no water on the floor.
I stepped out to check the living room, and sure enough, it was dry too.
But Luca’s wet footprints and the water trail he had left behind while walking toward his room were still there.
Sothing was not right.
But why was my mind constantly pushing away the idea that sothing was wrong?
The next thing I knew, she stepped out of the bathroom wearing the white dress I had given her.
"Are you feeling cozy?" I asked dryly.
She nodded, giving a broken smile.
"Co outside. I asked the maids to prepare so soup for you. It will warm you up," I told her, still feeling unsettled.
With a small nod, she walked toward , and we both went into the living room to join Luca.
She sat down with us, and we resud eating our soup.
She kept glancing at , which made a little uncomfortable.
"So, about your father, why were you running from him?" I asked, trying to start a conversation because the silence was getting awkward.
She paused, set her spoon down, wiped her mouth clean, and then looked at , blinking very softly.
"How would you feel if sobody stole from you?" she whispered.
Luca and I looked at her, then at each other.
Then she turned to Luca.
"What would you do if soone stole sothing that ant so much to you that you could not even breathe without it?" she asked quietly.
The question made Luca straighten his back, and we both drifted into our own thoughts.
I could imagine Luca thinking about his children. As for , I was thinking about mine, and about the love of my life.
That had practically been stolen for now.
But more importantly, why were her words pulling so deep into my thoughts?
"Why did your father steal sothing from you?" Luca managed to ask, thankfully shifting the attention away from us.
She looked at Luca as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
"I an, did your father steal sothing from you?" he asked, rephrasing the question so it would be easier for her to answer.
"No," she replied, shaking her head.
It made both of us look at each other again in confusion.
"It’s just that he stole my childhood, my happiness from ," she replied, returning to her point.
"Oh, was he abusive?" I asked, giving her a sad look.
"Did he stop you from being with your lover?" I continued, my mind running through all sorts of thoughts.
It is terrible when the person you love is taken away from you. I know that extrely well.
I had lived a few years without Kash, and they had been the roughest years of my life.
I missed him dearly every day, even though I was upset that he had hurt .
"I was in love with soone. He was a perfect man."
She tilted her head and began to speak dreamily, as if the mory alone was pulling her deep into thought.
"He was so good, so perfect, so soft-spoken, yet so strong," she continued.
A smile crept over her lips before tears began to form in her eyes.
"But then one day, I realized he was only with because he wanted sothing from , from my territory," she paused and then shook her head.
"I an my ho," she corrected herself.
"But sadly, it is too late now. He took sothing and left," she sighed, looking down and holding the spoon in her hand.
"What does that have to do with your father?" I asked in confusion, because I thought she said she was running from him.
"Oh yeah, he wants to get married. That’s another thing," she replied, as if it was not even that important.
It contradicted her earlier actions when she broke down, acting as if she was terrified of her father.
Her sudden appearance here was one thing, and then there was everything she was saying.
Another thing was how different her actions were. Sotis she seed very lost, sotis very timid, and sotis completely relaxed.
Ever since she arrived, my brain has not been working properly.
It felt like my mind was trying to remind of sothing, but suddenly nothing would co to .
The confusion was starting to annoy .
And then there was Irene.
Just a single blink from her eyes was enough to silence .
Then I looked at Luca, trying to understand if I was the only one feeling this skeptical or if he was confused too.
The way he shared a look with made it clear that he was also confused and skeptical.
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