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A heavy silence wrung through the room with the duo’s gazes fixed in opposite directions of one another. Neither made a move nor murmured a single word in fear of the other’s possible motion of rejection. Both only wishing, however, that the other makes the first advance. A few moments of still silence were enough for the auburn head to take the initiative. Placing his hand atop of hers, the girl allowed their hands to intertwine just for that moment.
He had immediately noticed that her hands were cool to the touch, a sharp contrast to the warmth that exuded from his. When turning her gaze to him, the girl almost smiled from the awkward concerned look he had for her. His smile was twitching from the corners, and his eyebrows were raised. She knew he was trying, which made him all the more endearing to her.
With eyes that cascaded back downwards, the girl finally spoke up with a soft murmur.
“I wish things were different.”
[Name] Arlovskaya is the youngest member of an elite family within business circles. Due to being sheltered by her family, [Name]’s skills and talents remain entirely unknown to the public’s prying eyes and to anyone outside the immediate family. Her elder brother, Viktor Braginsky, is a world-renowned Russian entrepreneur and the current CEO of their family-owned business conglomerate. The two remaining siblings, [Name]’s older sisters, as well have a role within the company with each being head of their own department.
Despite belonging to such a reputable family, [Name] finds herself as the family’s black sheep. From her personality to the way she conducts herself, [Name] stands out from her family like a sore thumb. If her family were likened to that of a chess game: Viktor would be the King, Katya the Queen, and Natasha the Bishop while she would be no more than a simple pawn. An expendable foot soldier that can be swapped out for any other piece just like her.
To live in constant secrecy and confinement, wouldn’t it be understandable to act out? Wouldn’t it be all right for her to make her own choices?
For [Name], there was no freedom for her to decide on anything for herself. From youth to now, every aspect of her was strung together by her family’s watchful eye.
This month began Viktor’s turn to watch over his youngest sister. As per an agreement with the rest of his family, [Name] shall stay in a residence close to their company’s western branch to further her homeschooling. Viktor, Katya, and Natasha each take turns flying from their headquarters and home abroad to take care of [Name] for a 4-month period.
Despite practically raising [Name] along with Katya, she had always been such a strange child to his eyes.
Viktor decided that it would be best If he took a temporary break from working in his usual office at the company’s close branch. He usually preferred to work at home anyways as he often grew tired of the same dreadful atmosphere every day. Having to keep an eye on [Name] was simply a logical excuse for him to alter his work setting. Viktor’s tasks for the day were to review and sign documents, extending from minuscule reports to those that were time sensitive. However, he found himself distracted as his thoughts led him astray.
Inevitably he regained his concentration, and with a lofty sigh, Viktor resumed his work. Clicking onto his emails, he began to inspect if anything was particularly noteworthy to take him out of his boredom. One email sent to him by one of his secretaries stood out due to its sense of urgency. When reading its contents, Viktor could not help but feel like something inside of him had died. A board meeting was approaching, much sooner than he would have liked to admit.
Viktor groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. How could he have forgotten?
The brunette man mentally cursed at himself for letting the board meeting’s date slip from his mind. The meeting was mandatory and required his presence along with that of the department heads. Unfortunately for him, the meeting was conducted at the company’s headquarters across the hemisphere. Not only would he be required to leave town, but so would his sisters who are required to attend; thus, having no other choice but to leave [Name] by herself.
Viktor dropped his head to rest on the palms of his hands. The meeting was far too soon for him to be able to make a comfortable decision on what to do with the [Name] variable. Of course, the first solution he concocted was to bring [Name] along with him and their sisters. However, that begged the question of what then? As she is not a department head or an employee of his company, she will not be permitted to attend the meeting. More than likely [Name] will be stuck in a hotel room, where she will be left unattended. Viktor shut his eyes and attempted to think of more solutions to his predicament until a soft knock on the door snapped him from his thoughts.
“Yes?” Viktor responded, lifting his head from his hands to regain his composure.
There was a silence from the opposite side of the door, instantly signaling to Viktor that it was [Name]. The people working in the mansion would respond in their usual greeting, however [Name] typically held her voice under his presence. It was not an odd of her to do, but it sure is a cumbersome habit.
“You can come in, пчелка.”*
[Name] coyly opened the door and closed it softly once she entered Viktor’s home office. She kept her head down, much preferring to keep her gaze on the ground beneath her. Her grip on the ends of her shit was a sort of consolidation for her. Even though they were family and he raised her from as early as she could remember, [Name] has always been deathly afraid of her brother. He hardly held her in any high regard, and for that, she actively refuses to meet his icy scarlet gaze.
“What’s on your mind?”
“I was erm... wondering... if I... no, we could go out for a bit? Like a walk around the garden?”
“No.”
Blunt and straightforward, Viktor rejected her request without so much as a second thought. [Name]’s grip on her shirt tightened from the sudden embarrassment and shame she felt. Of course, he was going to say no, she reasoned with herself. What was the point of even asking?
Viktor’s gaze lowered to notice her hands and the tight grip she had on herself. Something... ached inside of him. It was a feeling that he could not begin to understand, and that bothered him. Briefly softening his gaze, he turned his head away from her.
“How about we watch a movie together instead?”
At the suggestion, [Name] raised her head to finally look at him. That aching feeling in his chest was alleviated once he noticed from his peripheral vision how her eyes lit up. The ends of her lips twitched up, but quickly went back down as she internally reprimanded herself for wanting to smile.
“You can choose whichever movie comes to mind. Let me finish some work, and I’ll head down in a minute.”
[Name] excitedly nodded and hurriedly gave thanks to Viktor before shuffling out of his office room. Viktor’s eyes returned to the emails, and he quickly answered the urgent ones before he shut his computer for the evening. He sighed and wondered when the 2 of his sisters would be making their visit. Exiting his office, Viktor began to make his descent down the stairs to meet up with [Name] in their common room. Having spotted her, he awkwardly sat next to her. There was strangely enough a sense of unease that washed over him. There was still work to be completed before the day ended. Did he really have time to sit here and watch a movie?
The memory of [Name]’s lit up face came to mind almost immediately. He has been working arduously these days and the board meeting is so soon. He deserves a break, he rationalized to himself.
For [Name], she felt a similar sense of uneasiness. Her eyes scanned through the numerous movie catalogs, feeling anxiety pouring through her veins. What if she chose a bad movie? What if she chose a genre that Viktor hates? What if he never wants to do something together with her afterwards?
These opportunities were rare, Viktor hardly did any sort of activity with [Name]. He was always like a keen watchdog, preferring to watch things from afar than to get himself involved. It distraught [Name], as she wanted nothing more than to spend time with her family. However, they always preferred to preoccupy themselves with their work. [Name]’s hands shook as she clicked on the icon of a random movie recommended to her. Hopefully, hopefully, it is promising.
As the movie progressed, [Name] stole a few glances of Viktor. Even though he was her brother, he was unreadable as always. [Name] bit the inside of her cheek from the anxiety gnawing itself at her subconscious. Was he bored? Did he hate the movie? Does he want to go back to his office?
Sensing her unease, Viktor rested his hand atop hers to briefly give her a comforting squeeze. “The movie is fine.”
[Name] sighed in relief, the anxiety beginning to dull itself. But where there was anxiety, there now was disappointment at the sight of a housekeeper approaching. Surely, she had come over to alert Viktor of something that would take him away before they could see the movie’s climax. [Name] pouted, mentally cursing over the fact that her one quality time with her brother was going to be interrupted likely because of more work he neglected to do.
“Mr. Braginsky, we have company. Ms. Katya and Natasha have arrived.”
At the mention of her sisters, [Name] gasped and immediately paused the movie. She retracted her hand from Viktor’s and grabbed onto the seat in excitement.
“Natasha and Katya are here?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Upon [Name]’s inquiry, the housekeeper nodded. “Shall I let them enter, Mr. Braginsky?”
“Please do,” Viktor immediately responded. “Let them know we’re in the common room as well.”
The housekeeper swiftly made her way-out following Viktor’s order. The two figures followed the housekeeper back inside, making their way to the common room. Katya, [Name]’s eldest sibling was the first to step inside. Katya is a tall, beautiful woman, with strawberry blonde hair in a braided bun updo and adorned with various of her favorite types of flowers. She was the type of beauty that rarely shied away from flaunting her mature style and riches, reflected by her designer clothing and expensive jewelry. Natasha, the 2nd youngest sibling, stepped in after her. In comparison to Katya, Natasha is a much shorter woman. Her platinum blonde was usually decorated with a rotation of her favorite hair accessories, with this time being a white hairband. Her soft personality was shown by her comfortable and pastel colored wardrobe.
Upon noticing [Name], Katya immediately rushed over to envelope her into a tight embrace. Katya always smelled like expensive wines and perfume. The scent typically left [Name] feeling slightly lightheaded, but it was still one of her favorite smells because it was distinctively Katya’s.
Looking down at [Name], Katya gave a soft smile that was only ever reserved for her family.
“It has been quite a while, my cute солнышко!* I missed you so very much,” Katya excitedly proclaimed as she nuzzled her cheek against [Name]’s.
“Katya,” [Name] snorted, “It has only been a little over a week.”
“Which has felt like an eternity.”
For [Name], Katya resembled her brother in terms of personality. She was cold, stoical, and analytical to those they encountered. However, what truly set them apart were moments like these. Katya adores all three of her younger siblings and tries to show as much love to them as possible. Viktor, on the other hand, is not like this. Very rarely does he show compassion to his siblings, preferring to remain as that aloof figure everyone knows him as. That is not to say he is incapable of expressing his adoration, but the moments are hard to come by and too subtle to notice.
“Oh, [Name]! I missed you so much. All I could ever think about on my way here is how my little [Name] was doing!”
When Katya finally let get of [Name] after a lengthy embrace, it was now Natasha’s turn to make her attack. She tightly embraced [Name], to the point where [Name] had to give her arm a gentle squeeze as a signal to Natasha to loosen her grip. Natasha was always overjoyed with [Name]. To her, she felt a sense of pride that she was not the baby in the family. Out of all three of [Name]’s older siblings, Natasha was the kindest. She contrasted the rest of her siblings, not only appearance wise, but personality wise, too. She was the most caring out of the three, and the one constantly worried about [Name]’s wellbeing. She is a kind soul who could never bear hurting anyone. Though, could that statement be entirely true? [Name] wasn't too sure.
“Are you two aware of the upcoming board meeting?” Viktor interjected.
“Of course! I already bought the plane tickets, and we take off tomorrow night!” Natasha flashed Viktor a cheeky smile. “Don’t tell me you forgot, Viktor?”
Viktor grunted in response, evading Natasha’s gaze as if guilty was written across his face. Katya gave a hearty laugh to Viktor’s unamused look from their teasing.
“So, I suppose you invited us over to talk about [Name]?” Katya spoke up with the girl in question stiffening at the mention of her name.
“The issue is we cannot take her with us.”
Resting her cheek against the palm of her hand, Natasha pondered on a solution. “I’m sure there is a way to bring [Name] with us. Maybe we should book a hotel suite for her and watchful staff?”
“Too risky,” Katya stated, shaking her head in disagreement. “If something leaked, there’s no telling who would try to come for our girl.”
“This leaves no other option but to have her stay, but who do we appoint?”
[Name] wiggled herself out of Natasha’s eased embrace, feeling dejected over their continuing conversation on what to do with her. Although [Name] knew that her siblings loved her, it was a love that she could not understand. Why are they this protective? Why do they leave her out of the conversation every time even when the conversation is about her? Why do they care so much for her but treat her like a burden all at once?
Why is she expected to act like an adult, but always be treated like a child? What sort of adult or child does not have experience of the outside world?
“No!” [Name] suddenly blurted out. She clenched her fists, her body shaking from her outburst. A scalding hot feeling tore into her heart like flame, and it only grew with the intensifying frustration she felt. “I don’t want to stay here!”
The trio paused their conversation, turning their surprised gazes to [Name]. It was a first for them to hear her adamantly reject their plans, or rather... It was the first time she has said no to them.
“[Name]…" Natasha worriedly murmured, “What other choice do we have?”
“I don’t want to be alone!” [Name] immediately interjected, feeling the heat of her growing fury.
“You won’t be alone,” Viktor firmly stated with a sigh following after as he felt his annoyance build up. “Please be mature about this.”
“Mature?” [Name] gritted her teeth. “Really? Mature? You wouldn’t understand! None of you could ever possibly understand!”
“[Name] please-” Katya stepped in, worried about [Name]’s sudden outlash.
“Do you know how tired I am of always having to listen to you?” [Name] of course felt furious, as if the crumbling wall of her docile image began to tumble down. But from the sight of her siblings’ shocked expressions... It gave her a little amusement. Did it really have to take her getting mad for them to actually listen to her? “I’m your sibling, not your prisoner. You can’t keep me locked here forever!”
[Name]’s gaze was no longer on her siblings, but onto the floor beneath her. She felt bile build up in the back of her throat. Her hands stung in pain as her nails dug through the skin of her palms due to her tightened fists. There was a feeling of disgust at herself for lashing out and being disrespectful to her family, but it paled in comparison to her seething rage.
Natasha reached her arm out to squeeze [Name]’s hand out of concern. [Name] immediately retracted her arm away from Natasha’s hold and shot her an angry glare.
“Don’t touch me! I’ve had enough of all of you!”
Before anyone could say anything more to her, [Name] stormed away from the common room. Entering her room, she slammed the door shut after herself to further pour salt on the wound. She didn’t care what else they had to say, and she didn’t care how worried she made them. But... That is not the truth.
Once [Name] was inside her room, she crawled into bed; enveloping herself into layers of blankets. Once under the safe warmth of her covers, she let her tears quietly spill free. [Name] felt disgusted with herself. Her family prioritized unity, just as they prioritized not showing weakness. Yet here she was, allowing herself to be in such a vulnerable state and potentially breaking her dynamic with her family.
A knock on the door had her immediately wipe away her tears.
“[Name]?”
Oh, so it was Viktor. How surprising.
[Name] refused to respond. She knew that if she talked, her unsteady voice would reveal to him her breaking a family value. Viktor would know she was crying, and she couldn’t deal with a potential reprimand from him.
Viktor slowly opened the door, walking over to [Name]’s bed. Looking down on her bundled form, he frowned.
“Don’t pretend to be asleep.”
“Go away.”
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Then look at me.”
“Why can’t you just leave me alone and go away?!”
Viktor could hear the cracks in her voice and automatically knew why she refused to turn to him. Not wanting to sour the night even more than it already has by further arguing with [Name], he accepted his defeat.
“I came to say goodnight. Have a good rest, [Name].”
With that, Viktor took his quiet leave. Upon hearing the familiar door click, [Name] let her tears of frustration cascade down her cheeks once more. She did not want to stay trapped here any longer. She wanted to go out. She wanted to be given more freedom. She wanted her siblings to stop casting her aside in favor of other ventures. [Name] bit the inside of her cheek out of frustration.
She just wanted to be treated like a regular person.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“My staff here is sufficient enough, I believe she should remain here,” Viktor said bluntly.He crossed his arms and stared at the two women sitting in front of him, waiting for their response. [Name] was safer in a place where they both were acquainted with. As well as, he knows all of the staff members and their capabilities. He saw his staff as more than capable of keeping an eye on [Name] while he was gone. The response he received was simply Katya shaking her head in disagreement.
“You saw the big uproar that she made! There’s no way that’ll she agree with that.”
“Well then, what do you propose that we do?” Viktor asked bluntly. What other options could there be?
“I might have an idea,” Natasha cut in. Seeing her older siblings now turn their attention to her, she grew a little nervous at what their reaction would be.
“W-Well… A friend of mine is actually in the city with their family on vacation. I could ask him if he’ll watch over her.”
“He?” Viktor repeated with a tone of disgust. “I will not allow [Name] to be in the care of utter strangers, much less with a man.”
Katya softly chuckled at Viktor’s statement, how amusing she thought. She leaned into the table and pinched Viktor’s cheek. The action led to Viktor smacking her hand away and chiding her to stop treating him as if he were a child.
“Lighten up, little brother! You’re being so protective, it’s adorable really. Remember that our baby sister isn’t a baby anymore. She’s an adult, she’ll be just fine. Especially since she was raised by us! We should listen to Natasha’s idea.”
“She just turned 18.”
“An a-d-u-l-t, Viktor!”
Viktor was not amused. He did realize that he was being somewhat overprotective of [Name], but that was his job as an older brother! Despite her history of winding into trouble, Viktor still had some confidence and trust in [Name]. Giving into Katya’s request, Viktor gave a small “fine.” Natasha gave a small smile to Katya, expressing her gratitude for helping her have Viktor be willing to hear her idea.
“I’ll give him a call!”
In the realm of dreams, no one can truly hurt her. She could travel to any place outside of the mansion if she’d like. Heck, she could travel to any different world if she wanted to. Here in her dreams, [Name] could have enjoyable moments with her siblings. All of them together, laughing and enjoying the moments with one another. Why is something as normalized as a tight knit family so fictitious in reality?
Tonight, [Name] was unable to reach her dream refuge. She was restless. Anytime she closed her eyes, all she could see was unending darkness. She signed, turning onto her side. She felt exhaustion, yet her body refused to allow her the privilege of falling asleep. It felt pathetic, really. The digital clock atop her shelf is lit up with its bright green text.
3:02 am.
[Name] groaned and turned on her side again so she no longer faced the clock. Her mind was too preoccupied with the events from the night before. Her nails digged into the palms of her hands as she recalled her words and actions towards her siblings. They were all in the heat of the moment, and [Name] began to regret what she had done. However, they were all true to her heart.
She was brought back to reality when she heard a soft knocking on her door. Who could be up at this hour? Most likely her brother. Viktor had a tendency to stay awake past midnight or even days on end for his work. It was a habit that is worrisome, but is only treated as normalcy by Viktor when expressed.
“[Name]?”
Oh, she was wrong. Of course Viktor wouldn’t come after her outburst against him. However, this only raised more questions. Katya? What could she want? Especially at this hour? Katya opened the door, and lightly tapped [Name]’s shoulder. [Name] sighed and turned to look at Katya. She had noticed that Katya had some worry plastered on her facial expression, this only strengthened the guilt that was churning in [Name]’s stomach.
“Sorry for waking you, Sunflower.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve been awake for some time now.”
Katya wanted to ask her what was on her mind for her to be so restless. However, asking her such a question would be obsolete. She knew exactly why [Name] was being so restless for. Asking her the question anyways would most likely reignite [Name]’s agitation towards her, and Katya didn’t want that. Instead, she opted to tell her about the sudden news.
“Very convenient, my darling girl. Get your things ready, we’ll be leaving in a few hours. We found some caretakers for you!”
“Is it going to be the house staff?”
“Actually, you’ll be staying with a friend of Natasha’s and his family.”
[Name]’s eyes widened. Was she hearing all of this correctly? She wouldn’t have to be staying in the mansion? Even more exciting, she will be meeting new people! Maybe they’ll have more energy and youthfulness to them compared to her siblings. [Name] practically shot up from her position so she could immediately begin preparing for the trip.
“I-I’ll get on it!”
“Breakfast will be made when you come down to the kitchen.”
[Name] nodded, and Katya couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from twitching upwards. [Name] was excited about the ordeal. To Katya, it was such an adorable sight. Perhaps, Natasha’s idea was a good one after all. Katya left the room in order to give [Name] her privacy. One her way down the stairs, she spotted the exact person she was thinking of. When noticing her presence, Natasha turned Katya. Katya flashed Natasha a thumbs up. The latter of which, smiled brightly. This being an indication that her plan was a big hit with [Name].
[Name] was excited, almost too excited in her opinion. Honestly, she didn’t know for how long she would be staying with her caretakers. Just in case, she packed almost 2 weeks worth of clothing and supplies into her suitcase. Knowing her brother and his intricate schedules, [Name] knew Viktor would return home as soon as the chance arose. However, just in case, she’ll prepare for more than what she needed.
So many questions were buzzing in her head. Like, who were these caretakers? Were they a couple? Siblings? Were they pretty young, or maybe old? Maybe they had children around her age! [Name] shut her case closed, and smiled at the barrage of questions in her mind. Whoever they may be, all she longed for was an enjoyable time far, far away from this desolate house.
Once done, [Name] did what Katya had asked and went down to the kitchen. One of the maids, Liliya, greeted her with a plate of her favorite breakfast. She felt responsible that Liliya had to be awoken this early just to make [Name] food. At first she thought her siblings would be joining her, but as usual, she thought wrong. [Name] mumbled apologies to Liliya, only for her to brush the apologies off.
“No need to apologize, my lady! It’s not an inconvenience at all. You may call me for anything at any time,” Liliya smiled at [Name]. She curtsied and likely went to help [Name]’s siblings.
[Name] sighed, and sat down at the empty table. How typical, she thought. She felt a little gross with herself. Breakfast at almost 4 AM was definitely what she hadn’t wanted, but what choice did she have? Quickly funneling the food into her mouth, she sought out to find her siblings.
When noticing her presence, Natasha smiled at [Name].
“How lovely! I was just about to go and get you. Are you all set?”
[Name] nodded, and gave her suitcase to Liliya. The latter, gleefully accommodating the item in the trunk of the car. Natasha gripped [Name]’s arm and led her to the back of the car. Of course, as the proclaimed baby of the family, [Name] had to sit in the back between Katya and Natasha. This wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t for the fact that all of her siblings were absolutely atrocious with conversations. So she was going to sit there, in silence, for hours.
“Goodbye, my lady! Good luck to you Mr. Braginski!” Liliya waved, and the car had turned on. With a wave to Liliya from Viktor, they all drove off.
[Name] felt so heavy. Maybe it was from eating food so early. Maybe it was from the fact that she hardly had a wink of sleep all night. With a yawn, her head leaned onto Katya’s shoulder. Perhaps there is a positive about sleeping in the car, she wouldn’t have to deal with the painfully awkward silence. [Name]’s eyes drooped shut as she drifted to her longed realm of sleep and security.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
[Name]’s eyes felt so strained. She could feel herself being forcibly shoken by somebody. Sensations and perceptions not coherently attached, thus causing her thoughts to feel distorted. What was going on? She heard someone call out her name various times, but who? Her muddled mind was drunken with sleep and incapable of making a coherent thought.
“Sunflower, please wake up.”
Oh. It’s Katya.
[Name] gradually began opening her eyes, and winced at the harsh light entering her eyes. 5 more minutes of sleep is what she wanted to plead for. However if she’s being forcibly awoken like this, then that means they have reached their destination. [Name] gazed at the scene outside from the car window to see if her assessment was made true.
The building that the car was parked near to was very simple. It was a two-story home and didn’t exactly shine through in comparison to its surroundings. Now that she looks at it, the neighborhood houses looked similar to one another, all in size, design, and architecture style. How interesting.
The next thing she spotted was Natasha speaking with a stranger in front of the house, most likely one of the caretakers that her siblings were talking about. It was strange, [Name] didn’t notice Natasha leaving by her side. Perhaps she had done so while she was asleep. The man she was speaking to seemed similar to her appearance wise, no wonder they knew each other. Since Natasha was a part of the fashion department of Viktor’s company, she was well acquainted with figures in the fashion world.
The man was almost a head taller than Natasha. He had rose gold hair, maybe it was dyed? His eyes were a soft shade of blue, reminding her of the small butterfly brooch that Liliya wears at times. His most defining feature was the very thick eyebrows he had. They were the first thing that [Name]’s eyes first noticed when watching his figure. She could almost imagine the Liliya in her head scolding her for being rude and staring at strangers.“So the one staring at me from inside the car is your little sister?”
“Yes yes! She’s a cutie, isn’t she?” Natasha gleamed.
“Ah…” Oliver felt a bit out of his zone, [Name] was not at all what he was expecting. “The poppet is very cute, but I thought she would be much… younger?”
“As François always says, expect the unexpected!” Natasha giggled, and Oliver couldn’t help but chuckle at the statement.
“Well said! Speaking of François, he had taken her suitcase to her room. Everything all set?”
Natasha nodded and walked over to Katia’s side of the car. Delicately, she opened the door and smiled at [Name]. To say that [Name] didn’t feel nervous was a lie. Her heart was pounding so hard in her ribcage that it felt like it inevitably burst. However, she felt more ready than ever before. A whole new experience with new people! It will be so different than her normal day to day life.
Before [Name] could step out of the car, Katya pulled her into a hug. She patted her head and murmured a few words of encouragement. Natasha feeling a little left out, joined in on the hug. [Name] felt overwhelmed, but eventually hugged her siblings back. Motions like these were always a bright light in this dull life she felt she had. [Name] glanced towards Viktor, wanting to see if he would acknowledge his temporary goodbyes.
He didn’t. As expected of Viktor.
“If anything happens, contact us and we’ll come running! Isn’t that right, Nat?”
Natasha nodded in reply to Katya, and the two released [Name] from their embrace. Natasha grabbed [Name]’s hand and led her out of the car to where Oliver was. Katya scooted towards the left side of the car in order for Natasha to sit. With a shut of the door, the duo waved their goodbyes to [Name].
It was surreal.
Almost ethereal.
[Name]’s siblings had finally left her all alone. That nervousness she felt before still stung, but there was that twinge of happiness. [Name] stretched her limbs and basked in what she regarded as a taste of freedom. It was temporary of course, but she enjoyed the feeling of not being trapped inside that mansion. Oliver ushered her over inside the home, and it was an even greater spectacle. The space was much smaller than her house. It felt tight knit and comfortable, much like what a real home should feel like.
“Well Ms. Arlovskaya, nice to meet you! I’m Oliver, and will be your guardian for the meantime.” Oliver squeezed [Name]’s shoulder, as a gentle reassurance that she was in good company. He instigated a conversation while he showed her around the house.
From the information she gathered, Oliver is a bakery owner. He has a husband named François, and two sons. Currently the family is on vacation, so they visited here: their vacation house. Something that [Name] noticed was he spoke in a gentle manner. It seemed that he was cautious on trying to make [Name] feel as comfortable as possible, which she appreciated.
“Well! Those are all the spots you need to know. François placed your belongings in your new room. Is there something you need right now, Poppet?”
[Name] yawned. Despite being awoken by Katya, she still felt the effects of exhaustion looming over her. All she craved for was more hours of sleep. [Name] couldn’t help but reminisce about home. What she missed most of all was her bed. Her soft, warm, and comfortable bed. Oh how she missed it so.
“Poppet?”
“Oh! Yes yes, actually I’d just like some sleep.”
Oliver smiled at her and showed her to her room. Grateful, [Name] gave her thanks and landed on her new bed with a soft plop. She took in all of her surroundings. The bedroom was much smaller than the one she had at the mansion. Rather than feeling claustrophobic, [Name] felt comfortable. She then glanced at the clock atop of the drawer in front of her.
6:58 AM
Usually Liliya would be coming to her room around this time to wake her, but here she was, about to sleep.
[Name] smiled, and wistfully allowed herself to succumb to sleep.
It felt all too soon. Too soon to be waking back up. How long has she fallen asleep? 5, 10 minutes? She was roused back to a state of half consciousness from the murmurs that were surrounding her.
In her half-asleep state, she mumbled, “5 more minutes, Liliya...”
Liliya was the kindest out of all the people working at the mansion, and would usually excuse some of [Name]’s behaviors like sleeping in. She figured that Liliya would cease talking and give her more time for rest. However, the murmurs only grew louder. Louder and louder, and more… masculine?
Annoyed and perplexed, [Name] groggily opened her eyes. Before her stood two young men, peering down at her with confusion in their eyes.
“Oh shit, Matt! She’s waking up, what do we do?”
“Can’t say I have a clue, Al.”
And so, [Name] screamed.